Spin-orbit lateral superlattices: energy bands and spin polarization in 2DEG

Abstract

The Bloch spinors, energy spectrum and spin density in energy bands are studied for the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction subject to one-dimensional (1D) periodic electrostatic potential of a lateral superlattice. The space symmetry of the Bloch spinors with spin parity is studied. It is shown that the Bloch spinors at fixed quasimomentum describe the standing spin waves with the wavelength equal to the superlattice period. The spin projections in these states have the components both parallel and transverse to the 2DEG plane. The anticrossing of the energy dispersion curves due to the interplay between the SO and periodic terms is observed, leading to the spin flip. The relation between the spin parity and the interband optical selection rules is discussed, and the effect of magnetization of the SO superlattice in the presence of external electric field is predicted.

6 pages, 5 figures, reported at the International Conferences "Nanophysics and Nanoelectronics" (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, March 2006) and "Nanostructures: Physics and Technology" (St Petersburg, Russia, June 2006)

References in corpus (2)

• Dissipationless Quantum Spin Current at Room Temperature
• Zitterbewegung of electronic wave packets in semiconductor nanostructures

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Manipulating the spin texture in spin-orbit superlattice by terahertz radiation
• Terahertz radiation-induced conductivity, Kerr and Faraday angles, and spin textures in a two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit coupling subjected to a high magnetic field and periodic potential
• Scattering on the lateral one-dimensional superlattice with spin-orbit coupling
• Terahertz spin ratchet effect in magnetic metamaterials