Effect of electric field on the ratio between the rashba and dresselhaus parameters in III–V heterostructures

Abstract

The size-quantized energy subbands and envelope wave functions for [001] quantum wells based on zinc-blende III–V semiconductors are numerically calculated using the eight-band Kane model and finite-difference discretization scheme in coordinate space. The effect of the quantum-well band parameters and external electric field oriented along the structure growth direction on the ratio between the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling parameters is studied. It is demonstrated that at certain electric-field values the spin–orbit coupling parameters in GaAs/InGaAs structures can be equal, which ensures the condition for forming stable spin helices. In addition, it is established that the spin–orbit coupling linear in wave vector in symmetric GaAs/InGaAs wells can disappear under certain well widths and barrier chemical compositions.