Evolution of the persistent spin helix in the presence of Hartree-Fock fields

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolution of the persistent spin helix in the presence of Hartree-Fock fields

AU - Lüffe, Matthias C.

AU - Danon, Jeroen

AU - Nunner, Tamara S.

PY - 2013/3/14

Y1 - 2013/3/14

N2 - We derive a spin diffusion equation for a spin-orbit coupled two-dimensional electron gas including the Hartree-Fock field resulting from first order electron-electron interactions. We find that the lifetime of the persistent spin helix, which emerges for equal linear Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions, can be enhanced considerably for large initial spin polarizations due to the Hartree-Fock field. The reason is a reduction of the symmetry-breaking cubic Dresselhaus scattering rate by the Hartree-Fock field. Also higher harmonics are generated and the polarization of the persistent spin helix rotates out of the (Sy,Sz) plane acquiring a finite Sx component. This effect becomes more pronounced when the cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction is large.

AB - We derive a spin diffusion equation for a spin-orbit coupled two-dimensional electron gas including the Hartree-Fock field resulting from first order electron-electron interactions. We find that the lifetime of the persistent spin helix, which emerges for equal linear Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions, can be enhanced considerably for large initial spin polarizations due to the Hartree-Fock field. The reason is a reduction of the symmetry-breaking cubic Dresselhaus scattering rate by the Hartree-Fock field. Also higher harmonics are generated and the polarization of the persistent spin helix rotates out of the (Sy,Sz) plane acquiring a finite Sx component. This effect becomes more pronounced when the cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction is large.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.125416

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.125416

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2469-9950

VL - 87

JO - Physical Review B

JF - Physical Review B

IS - 12

M1 - 125416

ER -