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arXiv · 2408.10032

Tunable interfacial Rashba spin-orbit coupling in asymmetric Al$_x$In$_{1-x}$Sb/InSb/CdTe quantum well heterostructures

Hanzhi Ruan·Zhenghang Zhi·Yuyang Wu·Jiuming Liu·Puyang Huang·Shan Yao·Xinqi Liu·Chenjia Tang·Qi Yao·Lu Sun·Yifan Zhang·Yujie Xiao·Renchao Che·Xufeng Kou
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Abstract

The manipulation of Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in molecular beam epitaxy-grown Al$_x$In$_{1-x}$Sb/InSb/CdTe quantum well heterostructures is reported. The effective band bending provides robust two-dimensional quantum confinement, while the unidirectional built-in electric field from the asymmetric hetero-interfaces results in pronounced Rashba SOC strength. By tuning the Al concentration in the top Al$_x$In$_{1-x}$Sb barrier layer, the optimal structure with $x = 0.15$ shows the largest Rashba coefficient of 0.23 eV-Angstrom. and the highest low-temperature electron mobility of 4400 cm$^2$/Vs . Quantitative investigations of the weak anti-localization effect further confirm the dominant D'yakonov-Perel (DP) spin relaxation mechanism during charge-to-spin conversion. These findings highlight the significance of quantum well engineering in shaping magneto-resistance responses, and narrow bandgap semiconductor-based heterostructures may offer a reliable platform for energy-efficient spintronic applications.

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Hanzhi Ruan, Zhenghang Zhi, Yuyang Wu, Jiuming Liu, Puyang Huang, Shan Yao, Xinqi Liu, Chenjia Tang, Qi Yao, Lu Sun, Yifan Zhang, Yujie Xiao, Renchao Che, Xufeng Kou. 2024-08-19. Tunable interfacial Rashba spin-orbit coupling in asymmetric Al$_x$In$_{1-x}$Sb/InSb/CdTe quantum well heterostructures. https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.10032

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