Semiclassical spin transport in spin-orbit-coupled systems

Abstract

This article discusses spin transport in systems with spin-orbit interactions and how it can be understood in a semiclassical picture. I will first present a semiclassical wave-packet description of spin transport, which explains how the microscopic motion of carriers gives rise to a spin current. Due to spin non-conservation the definition of the spin current has some arbitrariness. In the second part I will briefly review the physics from a density matrix point of view, which makes clear the relationship between spin transport and spin precession and the important role of scattering.

Will appear in Springer Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science