Spin-Orbit Coupling in n-Type PbTe/PbEuTe Quantum Wells

M.L. Peresa, V.A. Chittab, D.K. Maudec, N.F. Oliveira Jr.b, P.H.O. Rappld, A.Y. Ueta d and E. Abramofd aInstituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Física e Química, Universidade Federal de Itajubá, Itajubá, PB 50, 37500-903, MG, Brazil bInstituto de Física, Universidade de S ao Paulo, PB 66318, 05315-970 S ao Paulo, SP, Brazil cGrenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CNRS, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France dLaboratório Associado de Sensores e Materiais, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, PB 515, 12201-970 S ao José dos Campos, SP, Brazil

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Magnetoresistance measurements were performed on an n-type PbTe/PbEuTe quantum well and weak antilocalization effects were observed. This indicates the presence of spin-orbit coupling phenomena and we showed that the Rashba effect is the main mechanism responsible for this spin-orbit coupling. Using the model developed by Iordanskii et al., we fitted the experimental curves and obtained the inelastic and spin-orbit scattering times. Thus we could compare the zero field energy spin-splitting predicted by the Rashba theory with the energy spin-splitting obtained from the analysis of the experimental curves. The final result confirms the theoretical prediction of strong Rashba effect on IV-VI based quantum wells.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.119.602 PACS numbers: 72.10.-d, 72.25.Rb, 73.20.Fz, 73.63.Hs