Revisiting the derivation of spin precession effects in quasi one-dimensional quantum wire models

TL;DR

This paper provides a theoretical analysis of spin precession in quasi-1D quantum wires with combined Rashba and Dresselhaus interactions, exploring parameter dependencies and potential complex extensions.

Contribution

It offers a detailed derivation of spin precession angles considering combined spin-orbit effects and introduces conditions for wavenumber selection in quantum wire models.

Findings

Derived explicit formulas for spin precession angles.

Identified parameter regimes with monotonic and non-monotonic behavior.

Explored extensions to complex and imaginary wavenumber scenarios.

Abstract

In this paper one deals with the theoretical derivation of spin precession effects in quasi 1D quantum wire models. Such models get characterized by equal coupling strength superpositions of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions of dimensionless magnitude $a$ under the influence of in-plane magnetic fields of magnitude $B$. Besides the wavenumber $k$ relying on the 1D electron, one accounts for the $s=\pm $ 1 - factors in the front of the square root term of the energy. Electronic structure properties of quasi 1D semiconductor heterostructures like InAs quantum wires can then be readily discussed. Indeed, resorting to the 2D rotation matrix provided by competing displacements working along the Ox-axis opens the way to derive precession angles one looks for, as shown recently. Proceeding further, we have to resort reasonably to some extra conditions concerning the general selection of the $k$-wavenumber via $kL=1$, where $L$ stands for the nanometer length scale of the quantum wire. We shall also account for rescaled wavenumbers, which opens the way to extrapolations towards imaginary and complex realizations. The parameter dependence of the precession angles is characterized, in general, by interplays between admissible and forbidden regions, but large monotony intervals are also in order.