Microscopic interface asymmetry and spin-splitting of electron subbands in semiconductor quantum structures

U. Rössler, J. Kainz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

65 Scopus citations

Abstract

The microscopic interface asymmetry of (001)-grown semiconductor heterostructures that gives rise to heavy-light hole coupling even at zero in-plane wave vector k, modifies also the subband dispersion of confined electrons. Starting from a multiband envelope formulation we apply matrix perturbation theory to derive explicit expressions caused by this interface asymmetry, which in the 2 × 2 conduction band Hamiltonian appear as a warping and a spin-splitting term. The warping term results in an inequivalence of the dispersion along [110] and [11̄0] as required by the microscopic C2v symmetry, while the spin-splitting term has the same structure as the corresponding term derived from the zinc-blende bulk inversion asymmetry. Implications with respect to spin-relaxation will be discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)313-316
Number of pages4
JournalSolid State Communications
Volume121
Issue number6-7
DOIs
StatePublished - 22 Feb 2002
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • A. Heterojunctions
  • A. Quantum wells
  • A. Semiconductors
  • Bulk inversion asymmetry
  • D. Electronic band structure
  • D. Spin dynamics
  • Electron subband
  • Interface asymmetry
  • Spin relaxation
  • Spin-splitting
  • Warping

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