The effect of the spin-orbit geometric phase on the spectrum of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in a semiconductor mesoscopic ring

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the spin-orbit geometric phase influences the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in semiconductor mesoscopic rings, revealing effects like peak broadening, splitting, and oscillations in the Fourier spectra due to spin interactions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the interplay between spin-orbit and Zeeman couplings on Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in 2D semiconductor rings, highlighting the impact of the spin geometric phase.

Findings

Peak structure is affected by spin-orbit and Zeeman couplings.

Zeeman coupling causes peak broadening and splitting.

Oscillation of peak intensity depends on spin-orbit coupling constant.

Abstract

Taking into account the spin precession caused by the spin-orbit splitting of the conduction band in semiconductor quantum wells, we have calculated the Fourier spectra of conductance and state-density correlators in a 2D ring, in order to investigate the structure of the main peak corresponding to Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. In narrow rings the peak structure is determined by the competition between the spin-orbit and the Zeeman couplings. The latter leads to a peak broadening, and produces the peak splitting in the state-density Fourier spectrum. We have found an oscillation of the peak intensity as a function of the spin-orbit coupling constant, and this effect of the quantum interference caused by the spin geometric phase is destroyed with increasing Zeeman coupling.