Topics in Condensed Matter Physics
Lecture Course for graduate students

CFIF/Dep. Física

Spin-dependent transport theory
Prof. Vitalii Dugaev

Winter semester: 2004/2005
Dates and time: Thursdays, 14:00, starting December 2, 2004
Location: IST / Edifício de Pós-Graduação, Sala P1

• Lecture 1. Introduction into physics of spin-dependent phenomena in nanostructures. Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effects. Spintronics.

• Lecture 2. Transport theories of metals and semiconductors. Classical theory of Drude-Lorentz. Boltzman kinetic equation. Magnetoresistance of metals and semiconductors. Hall effect.

• Lecture 3. Transport theories of metals and semiconductors (cont). Formalism of Green functions and Feynman diagrams. Kubo formula for conductivity. Charge and spin currents. Spin Hall effect.

• Lecture 4. Scattering from magnetic impurities. Kondo effect on magnetic impurities and Abrikosov-Suhl resonance. Spin-orbit interaction. Spin relaxation.

• Lecture 5. Transport in low-dimensional systems: size-quantization effects. Two-dimensional electron gas. Semiconductor quantum wells. Quantum wires. Quantum dots. Spin-orbit interaction in low-dimensional systems.

• Lecture 6. Transport in low-dimensional systems: size-quantization effects (cont). Ballistic transport in nanoconstrictions. Aharonov-Bohm effect in nanorings. Quantization of Hall conductivity in 2D systems.

• Lecture 7. Transport in magnetic systems. Spin-dependent scattering. GMR effect. Anomalous Hall effect: mechanisms of side-jump and skew scattering.

• Lecture 8. Localization and mesoscopic effects. Anderson localization. Theory of weak localization. Negative magnetoresistance effect. Localization in magnetic systems.

• Lecture 9. Coulomb interaction and theories of strongly correlated systems. Landau theory of the Fermi liquid. Coulomb interaction in 1D system. Bosonization method.

• Lecture 10. Coulomb interaction and theories of strongly correlated systems (cont). Stoner mechanism of ferromagnetism in metals. Effect of Coulomb blockade.

• Lecture 11. Kondo effect in conductivity through the quantum dot. Splitting of the Kondo resonance in magnetic structures with quantum dots and nanoparticles. Spin transistor.

• Lecture 12. Spin-dependent tunnelling in magnetic nanostructures. Effect TMR. Spin quantum well. Transport in ferromagnetic wires with domain walls. Negative resistance of the domain wall.