Kondo effect in transport through Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher interferometers

We derive the extension of the Hubbard model to include Rashba spin-orbit coupling that correctly describes Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher phases in a ring under applied magnetic and electric fields. When the ring is connected to conducting leads, we develop a formalism that is able to describe both, Kondo and interference effects. We find that in the Kondo regime, the spin-orbit coupling reduces strongly the conductance from the unitary limit. This effect in combination with the magnetic flux, can be used to produce spin polarized carriers.