Hanle Effect in Transport through Quantum Dots Coupled to Ferromagnetic Leads

Matthias Braun, Jürgen König, Jan Martinek

Published 2004-11-18, updated 2005-04-19Version 2

We suggest a series of transport experiments on spin precession in quantum dots coupled to one or two ferromagnetic leads. Dot spin states are created by spin injection and analyzed via the linear conductance through the dot, while an applied magnetic field gives rise to the Hanle effect. Such a Hanle experiment can be used to determine the spin lifetime in the quantum dot, to measure the spin injection efficiency into the dot, as well as proving the existence of intrinsic spin precession which is driven by the Coulomb interaction.