Resonant intrinsic spin Hall effect in p-type GaAs quantum well structure

TL;DR

This paper investigates the intrinsic spin Hall effect in p-type GaAs quantum wells, revealing a resonance in spin Hall conductance caused by Rashba spin-orbit coupling, which can aid experimental detection.

Contribution

It demonstrates the occurrence of a resonant spin Hall conductance due to Rashba coupling in p-type GaAs quantum wells, highlighting a new way to identify the intrinsic effect.

Findings

Rashba coupling induces energy level crossing in the heavy hole subband.

Resonant spin Hall conductance observed at the crossing point.

Resonance can be used as an experimental signature of the intrinsic spin Hall effect.

Abstract

We study intrinsic spin Hall effect in p-type GaAs quantum well structure described by Luttinger Hamiltonian and a Rashba spin-orbit coupling arising from the structural inversion symmetry breaking. The Rashba term induces an energy level crossing in the lowest heavy hole subband, which gives rise to a resonant spin Hall conductance. The resonance may be used to identify the intrinsic spin Hall effect in experiments.