Quasi-particle interference and quantum confinement in a correlated Rashba spin-split 2D electron liquid
Abstract
Exploiting inversion symmetry breaking (ISB) in systems with strong spin-orbit coupling promises control of spin through electric fields—crucial to achieve miniaturization in spintronic devices. Delivering on this promise requires a two-dimensional electron gas with a spin precession length shorter than the spin coherence length and a large spin splitting so that spin manipulation can be achieved over length scales of nanometers. Recently, the transition metal oxide terminations of delafossite oxides were found to exhibit a large Rashba spin splitting dominated by ISB. In this limit, the Fermi surface exhibits the same spin texture as for weak ISB, but the orbital texture is completely different, raising questions about the effect on quasiparticle scattering. We demonstrate that the spin-orbital selection rules relevant for conventional Rashba system are obeyed as true spin selection rules in this correlated electron liquid and determine its spin coherence length from quasiparticle interference imaging.
Citation
Yim , C M , Chakraborti , D , Rhodes , L C , Khim , S , Mackenzie , A & Wahl , P 2021 , ' Quasi-particle interference and quantum confinement in a correlated Rashba spin-split 2D electron liquid ' , Science Advances , vol. 7 , no. 15 , eabd7361 . https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd7361
Publication
Science Advances
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2375-2548Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S.Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).
Description
Funding: C.M.Y. and P.W. acknowledge support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/S005005/1), D.C. from the International Max Planck Research School for the Chemistry and Physics of Quantum Materials, L.C.R. from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition 1851, and A.P.M. from the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science. C.M.Y. acknowledges additional support from a Shanghai talent program.Collections
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