Spin edge helices in a perpendicular magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper provides an exact solution for spin edge states in a 2D electron system with equal Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions under a perpendicular magnetic field, revealing edge-dependent spectral behavior and tunable spin helix modes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analytical solution for spin edge states considering combined spin-orbit effects and magnetic field, highlighting edge orientation dependence and tunable spin helix phenomena.

Findings

Spectrum depends on edge orientation

Discovery of new persistent spin helix modes

Spectral behavior can be tuned by electric and magnetic fields

Abstract

We present an exact solution to the problem of the spin edge states in the presence of equal Bychkov-Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit fields in a two-dimensional electron system, restricted by a hard-wall confining potential and exposed to a perpendicular magnetic field. We find that the spectrum of the spin edge states depends critically on the orientation of the sample edges with respect to the crystallographic axes. Such a strikingly different spectral behavior generates new modes of the persistent spin helix-spin edge helices with novel properties, which can be tuned by the applied electric and magnetic fields.