Free-hole spin precession trajectories in A3B5 compounds

Abstract

Spin precession of a ballistic-hole when external magnetic field is absent and when the hole freely propagates in either heavy- or light-mass band is considered. The spin precession is due to linear in wave vector terms in the Luttinger-Kohn Hamiltonian. It was found that in contrast to conduction-band the valence band spin precession orbits are not circular. They are either ellipses or lines for light- and heavy-holes, respectively. The results of the paper can be applied to describe hole spin-dynamics in A3B5 compounds, for example, in simulation of spin-FETs by Monte Carlo method.