Patent ID: 7820998
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A device for manipulating a direction of motion of current carriers, the device comprising a structure containing a two-dimensional gas of the current carriers configured to create at least one region of inhomogeneity in the form of a transition region between two regions of the gas characterized by a substantially varying value of at least one parameter selected from a spin-orbit coupling constant, and density of the spin carrying current carriers, said region of inhomogeneity presenting a lateral interface with laterally varying parameters between the two gas regions, wherein: said structure is configured to provide the two-dimensional gas configuration with a desired orientation between an input flux of the spin carrying current carriers and said at least one region of inhomogeneity, which has the varying spin-orbit coupling constant and/or has the varying density of the spin carrying current carriers provided the spin-orbit coupling constant is of non-zero value, said desired orientation being such that the input flux of the spin carrying current carriers contains the carriers that impinge onto said at least one region of inhomogeneity at a certain range of non-zero angles of incidence, the device being thereby operable to perform spin manipulations of the input flux to provide at least one of the following types of deviation of said spin carrying current carriers: spin dependent refraction, spin dependent reflection and spin dependent diffraction on desired deviation angles of a direction of motion of the spin carrying current carriers being incident on said at least one region of inhomogeneity.