Spin transition rates in nanowire superlattices: Rashba spin–orbit coupling effects

Abstract

We investigate the influence of Rashba spin–orbit coupling in a parabolic nanowire modulated by longitudinal periodic potential. The modulation potential can be obtained from realistically grown superlattices (SLs). Our study shows that the Rashba spin–orbit interaction induces the level crossing point in the parabolic nanowire SLs. We estimate large anticrossing width (approximately 117 µeV) between singlet–triplet states. We study the phonon and electromagnetic field mediated spin transition rates in the parabolic nanowire SLs. We report that the phonon mediated spin transition rate is several order of magnitude larger than the electromagnetic field mediated spin transition rate. Based on the Feynman disentangling technique, we find the exact spin transition probability. For the case wave vector k = 0, we report that the transition probability can be tuned in the form of resonance at fixed time interval. For the general case (k ≠ 0), we solve the Riccati equation and find that the arbitrary values of k induces the damping in the transition probability. At large value of Rashba spin–orbit coupling coefficients for (k ≠ 0), spin transition probability freezes.