He K, Takeichi Y, Ogawa M, Okuda T, Moras P, Topwal D, Harasawa A, Hirahara T, Carbone C, Kakizaki A, Matsuda I. Direct spectroscopic evidence of spin-dependent hybridization between Rashba-split surface states and quantum-well states.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2010;
104:156805. [PMID:
20482008 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.104.156805]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The electronic structure of ultrathin Ag(111) films covered with a square root(3) x square root(3)-Bi/Ag ordered alloy was investigated by means of spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Surface-state (SS) bands, spin split by the Rashba interaction, selectively couple to the quantum-well state (QWS) bands, originally spin degenerate, in the metal film. Gaps are found to open between QWS and SS with parallel spins, while free-electron-like QWS dispersions are observed for antiparallel spin configurations. The present results demonstrate that in a nonmagnetic metal film the spin degeneracy of the valence levels can be lifted by hybridization with Rashba-type SS bands.
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