2025/11/08 by Yang, Hao, Wang, Wei, Ferreira, Gerson J. +3
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #FOS: Physical sciences #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Topological Materials and Phenomena
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2511.05787
openalex publication_date 2025/11/08 · openalex created_date 2025/11/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The spin-orbit (SO) coupling is conventionally known to manifest as odd functions of momentum. Here, through both model calculations and symmetry analysis along with the method of invariants, we reveal that, in ordinary semiconductor heterostructures, a quadratic Dresselhaus SO term -- inheriting from its bulk crystal form -- emerges via the interband effect, while complying with time-reversal and spatial symmetries. Furthermore, we observe that this unusual SO term gives rise to a range of striking quantum phenomena, including hybridized swirling texture, anisotropic energy dispersion, avoided band crossing, longitudinal Zitterbewegung, and opposite spin evolution between different bands in quantum dynamics. These stand in stark contrast to those associated with the usual linear SO terms. Our findings uncover a previously overlooked route for exploiting interband effects and open new avenues for spintronic functionalities that leverage unusual SO terms of even orders in momentum.