Spatial aspects of spin polarization of structurally split surface states in thin films with magnetic exchange and spin–orbit interaction

Abstract

A theoretical study is presented of the effect of an in-plane magnetic exchange field on the band structure of centrosymmetric films of noble metals and topological insulators. Based on an ab initio relativistic k ⋅ p theory, a minimal effective model is developed that describes two coupled copies of a Rashba or Dirac electronic system residing at the opposite surfaces of the film. The coupling leads to a structural gap at $\bar{{\Gamma}}$ and causes an exotic redistribution of the spin density in the film when the exchange field is introduced. We apply the model to a nineteen-layer Au(111) film and to a five-quintuple-layer Sb _2 Te _3 film. We demonstrate that at each film surface the exchange field induces spectrum distortions similar to those known for Rashba or Dirac surface states with an important difference due to the coupling: at some energies, one branch of the state loses its counterpart with the oppositely directed group velocity. This suggests that a large-angle electron scattering between the film surfaces through the interior of the film is dominant or even the only possible for such energies. The spin-density redistribution accompanying the loss of the counterpart favors this scattering channel.

Keywords

• spin–orbit interaction
• magnetic exchange interaction
• k ⋅ p method
• thin films
• spin-momentum locking