Quantum-well-induced giant spin-orbit splitting.
We report on the observation of a giant spin-orbit splitting of quantum-well states in the unoccupied electronic structure of a Bi monolayer on Cu(111). Up to now, Rashba-type splittings of this size have been reported exclusively for surface states in a partial band gap. With these quantum-well states we have experimentally identified a second class of states that show a huge spin-orbit splitting. First-principles electronic structure calculations show that the origin of the spin-orbit splitting is due to the perpendicular potential at the surface and interface of the ultrathin Bi film. This finding allows for the direct possibility to tailor spin-orbit splitting by means of thin-film nanofabrication.
Mathias
S
S
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany. smathias@jila.colorado.edu
Ruffing
A
A
Deicke
F
F
Wiesenmayer
M
M
Sakar
I
I
Bihlmayer
G
G
Chulkov
E V
EV
Koroteev
Yu M
YM
Echenique
P M
PM
Bauer
M
M
Aeschlimann
M
M