Theoretical investigations of spin splittings in asymmetric AlSb/InAs/GaSb heterostructures and the possibility of electric field induced magnetization

• Published in: Superlattices and microstructures Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 309 - 319
• Main Authors: Cartoixà, X, Ting, D.Z.-Y, Daniel, E.S, McGill, T.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron states and collective excitations in thin films, multilayers, quantum wells, mesoscopic and nanoscale systems; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Physics; Quantum wells; two-dimensional electron gas, 2DEG, InAs, GaSb, AlSb, heterostructure, asymmetric, Rashba, spin splitting; two-dimensional electron gas, 2DEG, InAs, GaSb, AlSb, heterostructure, asymmetric, Rashba, spin splitting; Band structure; Inorganic compounds; Gallium antimonides; Semiconductor materials; Quantum wells; Theoretical study; Spin polarization; Binary compounds; Band splitting; Subband; Two-dimensional electron gas; Indium arsenides; Degenerate state; Electric field effects; Spin-orbit interactions; Energy-level splitting; Aluminium antimonides; Heterostructures
• ISSN: 0749-6036; 1096-3677
• DOI: 10.1006/spmi.2002.1021

We use the effective bond orbital model method to examine the spin splitting due to the Rashba effect in AlSb/InAs/GaSb asymmetric heterostructures. We find for the resulting two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) under study that large theoretical values of the Bychkov–Rashba coefficients in the range of 30 × 10 − 10 to 50 × 10 − 10 eV · cm can be achieved. Finally, we present a phenomenon that might lead to a direct observation of the Rashba effect. We derive an expression, valid in the diffusive limit, for the spin polarization of the current resulting from a bias parallel to the plane of the quantum well.