Intrinsic and Rashba spin-orbit interactions in graphene sheets

Starting from a microscopic tight-binding model and using second-order perturbation theory, we derive explicit expressions for the intrinsic and Rashba spin-orbit interaction induced gaps in the Dirac-like low-energy band structure of an isolated graphene sheet. The Rashba interaction parameter is first order in the atomic carbon spin-orbit coupling strength xi and first order in the external electric field E perpendicular to the graphene plane, whereas the intrinsic spin-orbit interaction which survives at E=0 is second order in xi. The spin-orbit terms in the low-energy effective Hamiltonian have the form proposed recently by Kane and Mele. Ab initio electronic structure calculations were performed as a partial check on the validity of the tight-binding model.