Spin Relaxation in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in a Perpendicular Magnetic Field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how spin relaxation in a 2D electron gas under a perpendicular magnetic field is affected by Rashba spin-orbit interaction, revealing magnetoquantum oscillations in relaxation rates.

Contribution

It provides a microscopic calculation of spin relaxation rates in a 2DEG with impurities and SO interaction, highlighting the oscillatory behavior due to magnetic field effects.

Findings

Spin relaxation rates show magnetoquantum oscillations.

Explicit formulas for transverse and longitudinal relaxation rates are derived.

Oscillations are analogous to Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations.

Abstract

We consider the problem of spin relaxation in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a perpendicular magnetic field. We assume that the spin relaxation is induced by the Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction, which appears due to the inversion asymmetry of the confining potential. Our solution is based on a microscopic evaluation of the spin density response function of the 2DEG with impurities and SO interaction. We derive explicit expressions for the transverse and longitudinal spin relaxation rates. Our analysis shows, in particular, that the spin relaxation rates exhibit {\it magnetoquantum oscillations}, which are analogous to the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations of the electrical resistivity. These oscillations can be observed, for example, in time-resolved optical experiments.