Prof. Dr. Dirk Grundler

Technische Universität München Physik Department E 10 James-Franck-Str. 1 85748 Garching

Tel: 089 / 289 12401 Fax: 089 / 289 12414 Email: dirk.grundler@ph.tum.de

Dr. Marc Wilde

Technische Universität München Physik Department E 10 James-Franck-Str. 1 85748 Garching

Tel: 089 / 289 12420 Fax: 089 / 289 12414 Email: marc.wilde@ph.tum.de

Strain engineered and field-effect controlled spin-orbit interaction in semiconductor nanostructures: Magnetization and spin transport

The aim of this project is to investigate and to engineer spin-orbit interaction and zerofield spin splitting in nanostructured III-V semiconductor heterostructures: (i) Using micromechanical cantilevers we will measure spin and orbital magnetization of twodimensional electron systems, quantum wires and quantum dots exhibiting zero-field spin splitting. The de Haas-van Alphen effect at low temperature directly reflects the ground state energy and allows us to quantitatively compare to band structure calculations on spin-orbit interaction and g factors. (ii) We will study spin transport in engineered semiconductor devices where we vary the spin-orbit interaction and g factor by electrical means and tunable strain. In particular we will realize double-sided field-effect electrodes using atomic layer deposition and "on-chip" stressors using piezoelectricity and micromechanics. Based on strain-engineered and field-effect controlled heterostructures we propose to investigate spin-selective reflection at a device boundary, generation of spin-polarized currents without magnetic leads and spin-selective charge focusing in a multi-terminal device.