Coupling of electron rotation with spin in semiconductors

TL;DR

This paper reveals how intrinsic spin-orbit coupling in semiconductors leads to a spin-rotation effect in conduction electrons, explained through geometric Berry phase considerations within an effective-mass framework.

Contribution

It introduces a scalar spin-orbit-rotation term in the conduction band Hamiltonian derived from multiband envelope function approximation, linking spin dynamics to Berry phase effects.

Findings

Derived the spin-orbit-rotation term in the effective Hamiltonian.

Connected spin-rotation coupling to Berry phase differences.

Provided a geometric interpretation of spin-orbit interactions.

Abstract

Account of an intrinsic spin-orbit coupling in the valence bands of common semiconductors yields the scalar spin-orbit-rotation term in the effective-mass Hamiltonian of the conduction-band electron. This result is obtained within the multiband envelope function approximation. Fundamentally, the spin-orbit-rotation coupling can be described in purely geometric terms as a consequence of the difference in the Berry phase acquired by the components of the spin-orbitally mixed Kramers-doublet during its cyclic evolution in the reciprocal momentum space.