Spin-orbit interaction in InSb nanowires

TL;DR

This study measures and analyzes the spin-orbit interaction in InSb nanowires, revealing strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling that highlights their potential for Majorana fermion research in quantum devices.

Contribution

It provides a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of spin-orbit strength in three-dimensional InSb nanowires, demonstrating significantly larger values than in 2D systems.

Findings

Large Rashba spin-orbit strength of 0.5-1 eV·Å

Spin-orbit energy of 0.25-1 meV

Distinct magnetoconductance behavior in 3D wires

Abstract

We use magnetoconductance measurements in dual-gated InSb nanowire devices together with a theoretical analysis of weak antilocalization to accurately extract spin-orbit strength. In particular, we show that magnetoconductance in our three-dimensional wires is very different compared to wires in two-dimensional electron gases. We obtain a large Rashba spin-orbit strength of $0.5 -1\,\text{eV\r{A}}$ corresponding to a spin-orbit energy of $0.25-1\,\text{meV}$. These values underline the potential of InSb nanowires in the study of Majorana fermions in hybrid semiconductor-superconductor devices.