Dynamical spin-electric coupling in a quantum dot

Abstract

Due to the spin-orbital coupling in an anisotropic semiconductor quantum dot, a freely precessing electron spin produces a time-dependent charge density. This creates a sizable electric field outside the dot, leading to promising applications in spintronics. The spin-electric coupling can be employed for noninvasive single-spin detection by electrical methods. We also consider a spin relaxation mechanism due to long-range coupling to electrons in gates and elsewhere in the system, and find a contribution comparable to, and in some cases dominant over, previously discussed mechanisms.