Abstract: Electrical transport properties of a two-dimensional electron gas axe studied in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field B modulated weakly and periodically along one direction, B = (B + B0 cos Kx)z, with B0 much less than B, K = 2pi/a, and a being the period of the modulation. B0 is taken constant or proportional to B. The Landau levels broaden into bands and their width, proportional to the modulation strength B0, oscillates with B and gives rise to oscillations in the magnetoresistance at low B. These oscillations reflect the commensurability between the cyclotron diameter at the Fermi level and the period a and consequently hey are distinctly different from the Shubnikov-de Ha.as ones, at higher B, in period and temperature dependence. The bandwidth at the Fermi energy can be one order of magnitude larger, at low B, than that of the electric case for equal modulation strengths. The resulting magnetoresistance oscillations have a much higher amplitude than those of the electric case with which they are out of phase. Explicit asymptotic expressions are derived for the temperature dependence of the transport coefficients. The case when both electric and magnetic modulations are present is also considered. The position of the resulting oscillations depends on the ratio delta between the two modulation strengths. When the modulations are out of phase there is no shift in the position of the oscillations when delta varies and for a particular value of delta the oscillations are suppressed.

Abstract: We show how snake-orbit states which run along a magnetic edge can be confined electrically. We consider a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) confined into a quantum wire, subjected to a strong perpendicular and steplike magnetic field B/ − B. Close to this magnetic step, new, spatially confined bound states arise as a result of the lateral confinement and the magnetic-field step. The number of states, with energy below the first Landau level, increases as B becomes stronger or as the wire width becomes larger. These bound states can be understood as an interference between two counter-propagating one-dimensional snake-orbit states.

Abstract: Ballistic spin transport through waveguides, with symmetric or asymmetric double stubs attached to them periodically, is studied systematically in the presence of a weak spin-orbit coupling that makes the electrons precess. By an appropriate choice of the waveguide length and of the stub parameters injected spin-polarized electrons can be blocked completely and the transmission shows a periodic and nearly-square-type behavior, with values 1 and 0, with wide gaps when only one mode is allowed to propagate in the waveguide. A similar behavior is possible for a certain range of the stub parameters even when two modes can propagate in the waveguide and the conductance is doubled. Such a structure is a good candidate for establishing a realistic spin transistor. A further modulation of the spin current can be achieved by inserting defects in a finite-number stub superlattice. Finite-temperature effects on the spin conductance are also considered.

Abstract: Transport properties of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) are studied in the presence of a normal magnetic field B, of a weak one-dimensional (1D) periodic potential modulation V(x) = V(0)cos(Kx), and of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of strength a. For V(x) = 0 the SOI mixes the up and down spin states of neighboring Landau levels into two, unequally spaced energy branches. For V(x) not equal 0 these levels broaden into bands and their bandwidths oscillate with B. The n-th level bandwidth of each series vanishes at different values of B. Relative to the ID-modulated 2DEG without SOI and one flat-band condition, there are two flat-band conditions that depend on a and the transport coefficients can change considerably. For weak a the Weiss oscillations show beating patterns while for strong a the Shubnikov-de Haas ones axe split in two.

Abstract: Transport properties of the 2DEG are studied in the presence of a normal magnetic field B and of a weak, two-dimensional periodic potential modulation. A tight-binding treatment has shown that each Landau level splits into several subbands with exponentially small gaps between them. Assuming the latter are closed due to disorder gives analytical wave functions and simplifies the evaluation of the magnetoresistance tensor p(muv) The relative phase of the oscillations in p(xx) and p(yy) depends on the modulation strengths and periods. For short periods less than or equal to 100 nm, in addition to the Weiss oscillations, the collisional contribution to the conductivity and the corresponding resistivity contribution show prominent peaks when one flux quantum h/e passes through an integral number of unit cells in good agreement with experiments. For periods 300-400 nm long used in early experiments, these peaks occur at fields 10-25 times smaller than those of the Weiss oscillations and are not resolved. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We study ballistic electron transport through a finite chain of quantum circular rings in the presence of spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of strength alpha. The transmission and reflection coefficients for a single ring, obtained analytical lylead to the conductance for a chain of rings as a function of alpha and of the wave vector k of the incident electron. Due to destructive spin interferences the chain can be totaly opaque for certain ranges of k the width of which depends on the value of alpha. A periodic modulation of a widens up the gaps considerably and produces a nearly binary conductance output.

Abstract: We investigate the properties of carriers in graphene-based quantum wires created by potential barriers, by means of analytical and numerical calculations. We obtain expressions for the energy spectrum as a function of barrier height, well width and linear momentum along the wire. The results demonstrate a direction-dependent resonant transmission across the potential well.