Local spin polarization of Landau levels under Rashba spin-orbit coupling

Abstract

We investigate the local spin polarization texture of Landau levels under Rashba spin-orbit coupling in bulk two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) systems. In order to analyze the spin polarization as a function of two-dimensional coordinates within the 2DEG, we first solve the system eigenstates in the symmetric gauge. Our exact analytical wavefunction solutions are shown to be gauge invariant with solutions obtained in the commonly used Landau gauge. We illustrate the two-dimensional spatial spin profile for a single Landau level and suggest means to measure and utilize the local polarization in practice.