Complete charge and spin transfer statistics in ferromagnet hybrid structures

• Grant number: 06/03695-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2007
• End date: March 03, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: José Carlos Egues de Menezes
• Grantee: Antonino Di Lorenzo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this proposal we present research plans to investigate the statistics of charge and spin transfer in multiterminal heterostructures, including spin-orbit interaction in regions where it is relevant. In particular, we shall consider structures with ferromagnetic (FM) leads connected through (i) a quantum wire and (ii) a thin superconducting layer. In (i) we will study the effect of the spin-orbit coupling on the Full Counting Statistics(FCS) for ballistic and diffusive wires. In (ii), we will look at the dependence of the nonlocal Andreev reflection on the polarization and the relative orientation of the ferromagnetic leads as manifested in the FCS, with special attention to the average voltage drop and its noise. Our research plans involve state-of-the-art topics and address current problems of broad interest in the literature, which we tackle with analytical and numerical techniques. Our proposal combines for the first time spin-orbit effects and the FCS in mesoscopic systems.