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arXiv · 1009.1190

Electron beam formation from spin-orbit interactions in zincblende semiconductor quantum wells

David H. Berman·Michael E. Flatté
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Abstract

We find a dramatic enhancement of electron propagation along a narrow range of real-space angles from an isotropic source in a two-dimensional quantum well made from a zincblende semiconductor. This ``electron beam'' formation is caused by the interplay between spin-orbit interaction originating from a perpendicular electric field to the quantum well and the intrinsic spin-orbit field of the zincblende crystal lattice in a quantum well, in situations where the two fields are different in strength but of the same order of magnitude. Beam formation is associated with caustics and can be described semi-classically using a stationary phase analysis.

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David H. Berman, Michael E. Flatté. 2010-09-07. Electron beam formation from spin-orbit interactions in zincblende semiconductor quantum wells. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.105.157202

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