This second edition of the book presents spintronic properties of III–V nitride semiconductors. As wide bandgap III-nitride nanostructures are relatively new materials, the book pays particular attention to the difference between zinc-blende GaAs- and wurtzite GaN-based structures where the Rashba spin–orbit interaction plays a crucial role in voltage-controlled spin engineering. It also deals with topological insulators and discusses electrically driven zero-magnetic-field spin-splitting of surface electrons with respect to the specifics of electron-localized spin interaction and voltage-controlled ferromagnetism. It describes the recently identified zero-gap state—an anomalous quantum semimetal. The book comprises calculation of topological indexes in semiconductor and semimetal phases. It compares results that follow from the low-energy model and the Bernevig–Huges–Zhang model, which accounts for the full-Brillouin-zone electron spectrum. It also discusses the fractional quantization of Hall conductance and performs the direct calculation of Chern numbers for the inverted GaN/InN quantum well, determining topological properties by Chern number |C |=2.
The book explores and actively discusses semiconductor spintronics and proposes various device implementations along the way. Although writings on this topic appear in the current literature, this book is focused on the materials science side of the question, providing a theoretical background for the most common concepts of spin-electron physics. It covers generic topics in spintronics without entering into device specifics since its aim is to give instructions to be used in solving problems of a general and specific nature. It is intended for graduate students and will serve as an introductory course in this specific field of solid state theory and applications.
1. GaN Band Structure
2. Rashba Hamiltonian
3. Rashba Spin-splitting in III-Nitride Heterostructures and Quantum Wells
4. Tunnel Spin Filter in Rashba Quantum Structure
5. Exchange Interaction in Semiconductors and Metals
6. Ferromagnetism in III–V Semiconductors
7. Topological Insulators
8. Magnetic Exchange Interaction in Topological Insulator
9. Quantum Anomalous Semimetals
10. Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Wurtzite Quantum Wells
Biography
Vladimir Litvinov is a principal scientist at Sierra Nevada Corporation, Irvine, CA, USA. He earned his MSc in radiophysics from Ivan Franko University, Lviv, Ukraine; PhD in physics and mathematics from Chernivtsy University, Ukraine; and Habilitation in physics and mathematics from the Institute of Physics, Estonian Academy of Science, Tartu, Estonia. He was a member and then a head of the theoretical lab at the Institute of Material Science Problems, Academy of Science of Ukraine, from 1978 to 1996. He started working at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA, in 1996 as a senior research associate. He joined Sierra Nevada Corp. in 1999. He has also served as a principal investigator on projects supported by the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy as well as SOCOM, NASA, and MDA. He is a member of IEEE, American Physical Society, and Material Research Society. His research interests include the theory and modeling in semiconductor physics, III–V and IV–VI semiconductor optoelectronic devices, superlattices, metallic magnetic multilayers, and millimeter wave devices and scanning antennas.
“This book serves as a useful reference on the electronic structure and spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization of wurtzite-structure nitride semiconductors. Various chapters explain in detail how polarization fields and the Rashba effect combine to turn these materials into promising materials for spintronics as well as topological insulators. The concepts are illustrated with many applications. Overall, this work will serve as a valuable resource for students and practitioners alike.”
Prof. Chris G. Van de Walle, University of California, USA
“This book comes at a very good time, just as the scientific community is ready to explore new materials in search of room-temperature ferromagnetism in semiconductors. In his excellent book, Vladimir Litvinov provides a comprehensive arsenal of theoretical tools needed for tackling this challenge. His treatment of various exchange interactions and spin-orbit effects in semiconductors is handled masterfully, laying the ground for the exploration of spintronic effects in materials of current interest, which range from wide-gap semiconductors to topological insulators. An excellent reference for students and scientists working in this area.”
Prof. Jacek K. Furdyna, University of Notre Dame, USA
