Abstract
We present a theory of quantum tunneling between two-dimensional (2D) layers with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in the layers. Accounting for SOI in the layers leads to a complex pattern in the tunneling characteristic with typical features corresponding to SOI energy. The resonant features strongly depend on the SOI parameters; for clear experimental observation the SOI characteristic energy should exceed the resonant broadening related to the particles' quantum lifetime in the layers. It appears that the experiments on hole tunneling are favorable to meet this criterion. We also consider a promising candidate for observing the effect, that is, -doped SiGe strained heterostructures. As supported by our calculations, small adjustments of the parameters for experimentally studied AlGaAs/GaAs -type quantum walls or designing a 2D-2D tunneling experiment for recently fabricated SiGe structures are very likely to reveal the SOI features in the 2D-2D tunneling.
- Received 10 December 2015
- Revised 9 March 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.195405
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