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arXiv · 1209.4705

Theory of spin-orbit coupling at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces and SrTiO3 surfaces

Zhicheng Zhong·Anna Toth·Karsten Held
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Abstract

The theoretical understanding of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effects at LaAlO$_{3}$/SrTiO$_{3}$ interfaces and SrTiO$_{3}$ surfaces is still in its infancy. We perform first-principles density-functional-theory calculations and derive from these a simple tight-binding Hamiltonian, through a Wannier function projection and group theoretical analysis. We find striking differences to the standard Rashba theory for spin-orbit coupling in semiconductor heterostructures due to multi-orbital effects: by far the biggest SOC effect is at the crossing point of the $xy$ and $yz$ (or $zx$) orbitals; and around the $\Gamma$ point a Rashba spin splitting with a cubic dependence on the wave vector $\vec{k}$ is possible.

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Zhicheng Zhong, Anna Toth, Karsten Held. 2012-09-21. Theory of spin-orbit coupling at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces and SrTiO3 surfaces. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.87.161102

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