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Spin-orbit interaction from low-symmetry localized defects in semiconductors
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Spin-orbit interaction from low-symmetry localized defects in semiconductors

Oleg Chalaev, G Vignale and Michael E Flatté
Europhysics letters, Vol.98(1), p.17013
05/27/2011
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/98/17013
url
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1105.5674View
Open Access

Abstract

EPL v.98 p.17013 (2012) The presence of low-symmetry impurities or defect complexes in the zinc-blende direct-gap semiconductors (e.g. interstitials, DX-centers) results in a novel spin-orbit term in the effective Hamiltonian for the conduction band. The new extrinsic spin-orbit interaction is proportional to the matrix element of the defect potential between the conduction and the valence bands. Because this interaction arises already in the first order of the expansion of the effective Hamiltonian in powers of Uext/Eg << 1 (where Uext is the pseudopotential of an interstitial atom, and Eg is the band gap), its contribution to the spin relaxation rate may exceed that of the previously studied extrinsic contributions, even for moderate concentrations of impurities.

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