Spin texturing in a parabolically confined quantum wire with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin—orbit interactions

Abstract

In this study, we investigate theoretically the effect of spin—orbit coupling on the energy level spectrum and spin texturing of a quantum wire with a parabolic confining potential subjected to the perpendicular magnetic field. Highly accurate numerical calculations have been carried out using a finite element method. Our results reveal that the interplay between the spin—orbit interaction and the effective magnetic field significantly modifies the band structure, producing additional subband extrema and energy gaps. Competing effects between external field and spin—orbit interactions introduce complex features in spin texturing owing to the couplings in energy subbands. We obtain that spatial modulation of the spin density along the wire width can be considerably modified by the spin—orbit coupling strength, magnetic field and charge carrier concentration.