Anisotropic spin-orbit induced splitting of intersubband spin plasmons*

Abstract

The anisotropic splitting of intersubband spin plasmons, resulting from spin-orbit coupling, is studied by angle-resolved inelastic light scattering on a [001]-oriented GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well. Confirming theoretical predictions made in [C. A. Ullrich and M. A. Flatté, Phys. Rev. B 68, 235310 (2003)], this splitting is proven to exhibit a characteristic two-fold symmetry with the in-plane orientation, and to increase with increasing modulus of the excitation momentum. This opens the way to a more complete investigation, aiming at evidencing the existence of a collective spin-orbit field driving these excitations.