Direct spectroscopic evidence of spin-dependent hybridization between Rashba-split surface states and quantum-well states.
The electronic structure of ultrathin Ag(111) films covered with a square root(3) x square root(3)-Bi/Ag ordered alloy was investigated by means of spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Surface-state (SS) bands, spin split by the Rashba interaction, selectively couple to the quantum-well state (QWS) bands, originally spin degenerate, in the metal film. Gaps are found to open between QWS and SS with parallel spins, while free-electron-like QWS dispersions are observed for antiparallel spin configurations. The present results demonstrate that in a nonmagnetic metal film the spin degeneracy of the valence levels can be lifted by hybridization with Rashba-type SS bands.
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Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Chiba 277-8581, Japan.
Takeichi
Yasuo
Y
Ogawa
Manami
M
Okuda
Taichi
T
Moras
P
P
Topwal
D
D
Harasawa
Ayumi
A
Hirahara
Toru
T
Carbone
C
C
Kakizaki
Akito
A
Matsuda
Iwao
I