Abstract
Spin-orbit splitting of surface states is analyzed within and beyond the Rashba model using as examples the (111) surfaces of noble metals, surface alloy, and topological insulator . The ab initio analysis of relativistic velocity proves the Rashba model to be fundamentally inapplicable to real crystals. The splitting is found to be primarily due to a spin-orbit induced in-plane modification of the wave function, namely, to its effect on the nonrelativistic Hamiltonian. The usual Rashba splitting—given by charge distribution asymmetry—is an order of magnitude smaller.
- Received 18 October 2013
- Revised 10 September 2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.115434
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