Pseudospin Transfer Torques in Semiconductor Electron Bilayers

ORAL

Abstract

We use self-consistent quantum transport theory to investigate the influence of interactions on interlayer transport in semiconductor electron bilayers in the absence of an external magnetic field. We conclude that even though spontaneous pseudospin ferromagnetism does not occur at zero field, interaction-enhanced quasiparticle tunneling does alter the resultant interlayer I-V curves. We find that the system exhibits a critical bias voltage that is similar to that of the pseudospin ferromagnetic system, but whose properties depend heavily on the charge imbalance between the two layers and their relative spatial separation. When the bias voltage exceeds the critical value, interlayer current is gradually droped due to the charge imbalance between the layers until the transport current no longer reaches steady state values.

*We acknowledge support for the Center for Scientific Computing from the CNSI, MRL: an NSF MRSEC (DMR-1121053) and NSF CNS-0960316 and Hewlett-Packard. MJG is supported by the Army Research Office (ARO). YK is supported by Fulbright Science and Technology

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Authors

  • Youngseok Kim

    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Il, 61801

  • Allan MacDonald

    • University of Texas at Austin
    • Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin
    • Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
    • Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, USA

  • Matthew Gilbert

    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois
    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana IL 61801
    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Il, 61801
    • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign