Electronic properties of graphene and graphene nanoribbons with 'pseudo-Rashba' spin-orbit coupling

We discuss the electronic properties of graphene and graphene nanoribbons including ‘pseudo-Rashba’ spin–orbit coupling. After summarizing the bulk properties of massless and massive Dirac particles, we first analyze the scattering behavior close to an infinite mass and zigzag boundary. For low energies, we observe strong deviations from the usual spin-conserving behavior at high energies such as reflection acting as a spin polarizer or switch. This results in spin polarization along the direction of the boundary due to the appearance of evanescent modes in the case of non-equilibrium or when there is no coherence between the two one-particle branches. We then discuss the spin and density distribution of graphene nanoribbons. New Journal of Physics 11 (2009) 115003 1367-2630/09/115003+21$30.00 © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft