Abstract:
A fundamental understanding of spin-dependent scattering and
transport is central to "semiconductor spintronics." After a general
introduction to key issues in this field, I will discuss recent
experiments that examine the anomalous Hall effect in
magnetically-doped 2D and 3D semiconductors [1,2]. This long-studied
phenomenon has its origins in spin-dependent transport in the presence
of a spin-orbit interaction and -- despite a long history of
theoretical interest -- there is still ongoing debate about the
interpretation of experimental observations. Our experiments allow us
to systematically study the anomalous Hall effect in model systems,
shedding new light into the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon.
1. J. Cummings et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 196404 (2006).
2. P. Mitra, N. Kumar and N. Samarth, arxiv:0808.2079.