Linear-in-momentum spin orbit interactions in planar Ge/GeSi heterostructures and spin qubits

TL;DR

This paper explores linear-in-momentum spin-orbit interactions in Ge/GeSi heterostructures, revealing interface-induced Dresselhaus and Rashba effects that influence hole spin dynamics and device behavior.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of interface-induced linear Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit interactions in Ge/GeSi heterostructures, with implications for spin qubit control.

Findings

Symmetry breaking at interfaces causes Dresselhaus interaction.

Interface steepness affects the strength of spin-orbit interactions.

Rashba interaction arises from low structural symmetry.

Abstract

We investigate the existence of linear-in-momentum spin-orbit interactions in the valence band of Ge/GeSi heterostructures using an atomistic tight-binding method. We show that symmetry breaking at the Ge/GeSi interfaces gives rise to a linear Dresselhaus-type interaction for heavy-holes. This interaction results from the heavy-hole/light-hole mixings induced by the interfaces and can be captured by a suitable correction to the minimal Luttinger-Kohn, four bands $\vec{k}\cdot\vec{p}$ Hamiltonian. It is dependent on the steepness of the Ge/GeSi interfaces, and is suppressed if interdiffusion is strong enough. Besides the Dresselhaus interaction, the Ge/GeSi interfaces also make a contribution to the in-plane gyromagnetic $g$-factors of the holes. The tight-binding calculations also highlight the existence of a small linear Rashba interaction resulting from the couplings between the heavy-hole/light-hole manifold and the conduction band enabled by the low structural symmetry of Ge/GeSi heterostructures. These interactions can be leveraged to drive the hole spin. The linear Dresselhaus interaction may, in particular, dominate the physics of the devices for out-of-plane magnetic fields. When the magnetic field lies in-plane, it is, however, usually far less efficient than the $g$-tensor modulation mechanisms arising from the motion of the dot in non-separable, inhomogeneous electric fields and strains.