Spin-Resolved Quantum Scars in Confined Spin-Coupled Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

• Main Authors: Michael Berger, Dominik Schulz, Jamal Berakdar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Nanomaterials
• Subjects: quantum scars; spin-orbit coupling; quantum chaos; periodic orbits
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/5/1258

Quantum scars refer to an enhanced localization of the probability density of states in the spectral region with a high energy level density. Scars are discussed for a number of confined pure and impurity-doped electronic systems. Here, we studied the role of spin on quantum scarring for a generic system, namely a semiconductor-heterostructure-based two-dimensional electron gas subjected to a confining potential, an external magnetic field, and a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. Calculating the high energy spectrum for each spin channel and corresponding states, as well as employing statistical methods known for the spinless case, we showed that spin-dependent scarring occurs in a spin-coupled electronic system. Scars can be spin mixed or spin polarized and may be detected via transport measurements or spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy.