Direct observation of the Aharonov-Casher phase.
Ring structures fabricated from HgTe/HgCdTe quantum wells have been used to study Aharonov-Bohm type conductance oscillations as a function of Rashba spin-orbit splitting strength. We observe nonmonotonic phase changes indicating that an additional phase factor modifies the electron wave function. We associate these observations with the Aharonov-Casher effect. This is confirmed by comparison with numerical calculations of the magnetoconductance for a multichannel ring structure within the Landauer-Büttiker formalism.
König
M
M
Physikalisches Institut (EP 3), Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
Tschetschetkin
A
A
Hankiewicz
E M
EM
Sinova
Jairo
J
Hock
V
V
Daumer
V
V
Schäfer
M
M
Becker
C R
CR
Buhmann
H
H
Molenkamp
L W
LW