Magnetic-field-induced charge current in quantum wells with spin–orbit coupling

Abstract

We calculated the charge current response in a two-dimensional electron gas in the presenceof Rashba spin–orbit coupling and electron–impurity scattering, under an in-planetime-dependent applied magnetic field. Our formalism rests on the density matrix methodand quantum transport equation. It was shown that there exists a magnetic-field-inducedcharge transport due to the photon-excited electrons scattered by impurities in thepresence of spin–orbit coupling. The dependence of the induced current on theRashba spin–orbit coupling strength is obtained at high frequencies of the magneticfield. Our result provides a potentially useful method to produce and manipulatecharge current by using the magnetic field alone in semiconductor spintronicsystems.