Effect of Spin-Orbit Coupling on Anomalous Quantum Oscillations in InAs/GaSb Quantum Wells

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates how spin-orbit coupling influences anomalous quantum oscillations in InAs/GaSb quantum wells, revealing opposing effects in clean versus disordered systems and identifying conditions for enhanced oscillations.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical analysis of SOC's dual role in modulating anomalous quantum oscillations in different disorder regimes, extending existing understanding.

Findings

SOC suppresses oscillations in clean systems

SOC enhances oscillations in disordered systems

SOC can induce phase shifts in oscillations

Abstract

We theoretically study the effect of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) on anomalous quantum oscillations in InAs/GaSb quantum wells. By comparing different cases, we show that SOC induces two opposing effects on anomalous quantum oscillations: it suppresses the oscillations in the clean case, while enhancing them in the disordered case. Using an effective model, we analyze in detail the origins of anomalous oscillations in both clean and disordered cases. Based on these origins, we explain why SOC suppresses or enhances the anomalous oscillations in different cases, thereby extending the understanding of the conventional theory. Moreover, in the disordered case, SOC can induce a phase shift of the anomalous oscillations. We further identify a parameter window where the anomalous oscillations are significantly enhanced in the presence of both disorder and SOC. These results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the role of SOC in anomalous quantum oscillations.