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

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how spin-orbit interactions in zincblende semiconductor quantum wells can produce a highly directional electron beam, revealing new control mechanisms for electron propagation in quantum devices.

Contribution

It uncovers the formation of electron beams due to the interplay of different spin-orbit fields, combining experimental observations with semi-classical analysis.

Findings

Enhanced electron propagation along specific angles

Beam formation linked to spin-orbit interaction interplay

Semi-classical description using stationary phase analysis

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.