Theory of edge states in Systems with Rashba Spin-orbit coupling

A. REYNOSO, G. USAJ, M.J.SÁNCHEZ AND C.A. BALSEIRO

PHYSICAL REVIEW B - CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS

Año: 2004 vol. 70 p. 235344 - 235351

0163-1829

We study the edge states in a two dimensional electron gas with a transversemagnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In the bulk, the interplaybetween the external field perpendicular to the gas plane and the spin-orbitcoupling leads to two branches of states that, within the same energywindow, have different cyclotron radii. For the edge states, surfacereflection generates hybrid states with the two cyclotron radii. We analyzethe spectrum and spin structure of these states and present a semiclassicalpicture of them.