Abstract: We present a comprehensive study of the crystal structure, magnetic structure, and microscopic magnetic model of (CuBr)LaNb2O7, the Br analog of the spin-gap quantum magnet (CuCl) LaNb2O7. Despite similar crystal structures and spin lattices, the magnetic behavior and even peculiarities of the atomic arrangement in the Cl and Br compounds are very different. The high- resolution x-ray and neutron data reveal a split position of Br atoms in (CuBr) LaNb2O7. This splitting originates from two possible configurations developed by [CuBr] zigzag ribbons. While the Br atoms are locally ordered in the ab plane, their arrangement along the c direction remains partially disordered. The predominant and energetically more favorable configuration features an additional doubling of the c lattice parameter that was not observed in (CuCl) LaNb2O7. (CuBr) LaNb2O7 undergoes long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at T-N = 32 K, which is nearly 70% of the leading exchange coupling J4 similar or equal to 48 K. The Br compound does not show any experimental signatures of low-dimensional magnetism because the underlying spin lattice is three-dimensional. The coupling along the c direction is comparable to the couplings in the ab plane, even though the shortest Cu-Cu distance along c (11.69 angstrom) is three times larger than nearest-neighbor distances in the ab plane (3.55 angstrom). The stripe antiferromagnetic long-range order featuring columns of parallel spins in the ab plane and antiparallel spins along c is verified experimentally and confirmed by the microscopic analysis.

Abstract: Within a minimal model, we present analytical expressions for the eigenstates and eigenvalues of carriers confined in quantum rings in monolayer and bilayer graphene. The calculations were performed in the context of the continuum model by solving the Dirac equation for a zero width ring geometry, i.e., by freezing out the carrier radial motion. We include the effect of an external magnetic field and show the appearance of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations and of a nonzero gap in the spectrum. Our minimal model gives insight on the energy spectrum of graphene-based quantum rings and models different aspects of finite width rings.

Abstract: Thr structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the highly mismatched perovskite oxides, Th(0.35)A(0.65)MnO(3), where Ais for the alkaline earth divalent cations (Ca, Ba, Sr), which are all characterized by the same large tolerance factor (t=0.934), have been investigated by using electron microscopy, electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetization. It is clearly established that a transition from ferromagnetic metallic towards spin-glass insulator samples is induced as the A-site cationic size mismatch is increased. Moreover, the magnetoresistance (MR) properties of these manganites are strongly reduced for the spin-glass insulators, demonstrating that the A-sire cationic disorder is detrimental for the colossal MR properties. Based on these results, a new electronic and magnetic diagram is established that shows that the A-site disorder, rather than the A-site average cationic size (or t) is the relevant factor for generating spin-glass insulating manganites. [S0163-1829(99)01746-4].

Abstract: Magnetic flux patterns are known to strongly differ in the intermediate state of type-I and type-II superconductors. Using a type-I/type-II bilayer we demonstrate hybridization of these flux phases into a plethora of unique new ones. Owing to a complicated multibody interaction between individual fluxoids, many different intriguing patterns are possible under applied magnetic field, such as few-vortex clusters, vortex chains, mazes, or labyrinthal structures resembling the phenomena readily encountered in soft-matter physics. However, in our system the patterns are tunable by sample parameters, magnetic field, current, and temperature, which reveals transitions from short-range clustering to long-range ordered phases such as parallel chains, gels, glasses, and crystalline vortex lattices, or phases where lamellar type-I flux domains in one layer serve as a bedding potential for type-II vortices in the other, configurations clearly beyond the soft-matter analogy.

Abstract: A Hg(Cd)Te insulator heterostructure hosts a two-dimensional electron system that can simulate the physics of Dirac fermions with only a single valley. We investigate the magnetotransport properties of this structure and show that, unlike most two-dimensional crystals with spin and valley coupled levels, the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations exhibit a high spin polarization in the absence of any valley degree of freedom. This effect can be observed using magnetospectroscopy measurements for quantum well thicknesses corresponding to either the topologically trivial or quantum spin Hall phases. The pseudospin texture of the electrons near the Fermi level is also studied and we show that a tunable pseudospin-polarized quantum Hall liquid can only be observed for thicknesses corresponding to the inverted regime.

Abstract: The electronic properties of the two-dimensional material silicene are strongly influenced by the application of a perpendicular electric field E-z and of an exchange field M due to adatoms positioned on the surface or a ferromagnetic substrate. Within the random phase approximation, we investigate how electron-electron interactions are affected by these fields and present analytical and numerical results for the dispersion of plasmons, their lifetime, and their oscillator strength. We find that the combination of the fields E-z and M brings a spin and valley texture to the particle-hole excitation spectrum and allows the formation of spin-and valley-polarized plasmons. When the Fermi level lies in the gap of one spin in one valley, the intraband region of the corresponding spectrum disappears. For zero E-z and finite M the spin symmetry is broken and spin polarization is possible. The lifetime and oscillator strength of the plasmons are shown to depend strongly on the number of spin and valley type electrons that form the electron-hole pairs.

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: Tunneling of holes through a trilayer structure made of two diluted magnetic semiconductors, (Ga,Mn)As, separated by a thin layer of nonmagnetic AlAs is investigated. The problem is treated within the 6x6 Luttinger-Kohn model for valence bands with the split-off band included. The influence of the spin-orbit coupling is pronounced as the spin-splitting Delta(ex) is comparable with the split-off Delta(SO) splitting. It is assumed that direct tunneling is the dominant mechanism due to the high quality of the tunnel junctions. Our theoretical results predict the correct order of magnitude for the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio, but various other effects, such as scattering on impurities and defects, should be included in order to realize a quantitative agreement with experiment.

Abstract: The band structure of two-dimensional artificial superlattices in the presence of (Rashba-type) spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is presented. The position and shape of the energy bands in these spintronic crystals depend on the geometry as well as the strength of the SOI, which can be tuned by external gate voltages. For finite mesoscopic arrays, we show that their conductance properties and possible applications can be understood from these spin-dependent band diagrams.

Abstract: The spiral magnetic structure and underlying spin lattice of BiMnFe2O6 are investigated by low-temperature neutron powder diffraction and density functional theory band structure calculations. In spite of the random distribution of the Mn3+ and Fe3+ cations, this centrosymmetric compound undergoes a transition into an incommensurate antiferromagnetically ordered state below TN≃220 K. The magnetic structure is characterized by the propagation vector k=[0,β,0] with β≃0.14 and the P221211′(0β0)0s0s magnetic superspace symmetry. It comprises antiferromagnetic helixes propagating along the b axis. The magnetic moments lie in the ac plane and rotate about π(1+β)≃204.8-deg angle between the adjacent magnetic atoms along b. The spiral magnetic structure arises from the peculiar frustrated arrangement of exchange couplings in the ab plane. The antiferromagnetic coupling along the c axis cancels the possible electric polarization and prevents ferroelectricity in BiMnFe2O6.