Observation of Dresselhaus type spin splitting of zinc blende structure semiconductors by circular dichroic photoemission study

Material family of zinc blende structure semiconductors (ZBSSs) is important for novel technique such as spintronics. A study of the ZBSS spin-splitting structure in momentum space is essential when seeking to understand the exotic properties of the material. The Dresselhaus field predominates in the bulk, but the Rashba field plays important roles in states near the surface. Here, we used circular dichroism in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (CD-ARPES) to explore the spin-splitting structure of bulk ZBSS in momentum space. The observed structure was well-explained by a Dresselhaus field attributable to the lack of inversion symmetry in ZBSS crystals. We show that CD-ARPES usefully reveals spin-splitting in momentum space. CD-ARPES combined with hard x-ray incident-beam would be useful to investigate the spin-splitting structures of the interface states in the ZBSS heterostructure.

Automated summary

The study revealed the impact of the Dresselhaus field on spin-splitting in ZBSS crystals due to the lack of inversion symmetry. It also demonstrated the usefulness of CD-ARPES in revealing the spin-splitting structure in momentum space. Additionally, combining CD-ARPES with a hard x-ray incident beam shows promise for investigating spin-splitting structures in ZBSS heterostructures.