  We studied how the electron-electron (e-e) interaction enhances the strength
of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) and opens the possibility of
generating a spin-polarized output current from an unpolarized electric current
without any magnetic elements. In this regard, we proposed a novel design of a
graphene-like junction based on the $e$-$e$ interaction and the $RSOC$. The
results showed that the $e$-$e$ interaction with $RSOC$ opens a spin energy gap
and extremely enhances the $RSOC$ in this spin energy gap. Interestingly, the
junction produces a large spin-polarized current and could act as a
high-efficiency spin filter device (nearly 100\% spin polarization) at room
temperature even at low Rashba and e-e interaction strengths. However, with an
appropriate design, we showed that RSOC could strongly weaken the
spin-polarized current and the spin energy gap, which is solely produced by the
$e$-$e$ interaction, but a high spin polarization persists in some energy
ranges.
