Existence of bounded steady state solutions to spin-polarized drift-diffusion systems

Abstract

We study a stationary spin-polarized drift-diffusion model for semiconductor spintronic devices. This coupled system of continuity equations and a Poisson equation with mixed boundary conditions in all equations has to be considered in heterostructures. In 3D we prove the existence and boundedness of steady states. If the Dirichlet conditions are compatible or nearly compatible with thermodynamic equilibrium the solution is unique. The same properties are obtained for a space discretized version of the problem: Using a Scharfetter-Gummel scheme on 3D boundary conforming Delaunay grids we show existence, boundedness and, for small applied voltages, the uniqueness of the discrete solution.