Eur. Phys. J. B 58, 263-268 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2007-00221-5

Electronic structure of paramagnetic In_1-xMn_x As nanowires

¹ Chinese Center of Advanced Science and Technology (World Laboratory), P.O. Box 8730, Beijing, 100080, P.R. China
² Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing, 100083, P.R. China

Corresponding author: ^a zhxw99@semi.ac.cn

Received: 21 September 2006
Revised: 7 June 2007
Published online: 15 August 2007

Abstract

The electronic structure, spin splitting energies, and g factors of paramagnetic In_1-xMn_xAs nanowires under magnetic and electric fields are investigated theoretically including the sp-d exchange interaction between the carriers and the magnetic ion. We find that the effective g factor changes dramatically with the magnetic field. The spin splitting due to the sp-d exchange interaction counteracts the Zeeman spin splitting. The effective g factor can be tuned to zero by the external magnetic field. There is also spin splitting under an electric field due to the Rashba spin-orbit coupling which is a relativistic effect. The spin-degenerated bands split at nonzero k_z (k_z is the wave vector in the wire direction), and the spin-splitting bands cross at k_z = 0, whose k_z-positive part and negative part are symmetrical. A proper magnetic field makes the k_z-positive part and negative part of the bands asymmetrical, and the bands cross at nonzero k_z. In the absence of magnetic field, the electron Rashba coefficient increases almost linearly with the electric field, while the hole Rashba coefficient increases at first and then decreases as the electric field increases. The hole Rashba coefficient can be tuned to zero by the electric field.