Limitation of electron mobility from hyperfine interaction in ultraclean quantum wells and topological insulators

S. A. Tarasenko and Guido Burkard
Phys. Rev. B 94, 045309 – Published 19 July 2016

Abstract

The study of electron transport and scattering processes limiting electron mobility in high-quality semiconductor structures is central to solid-state electronics. Here, we uncover an unavoidable source of electron scattering which is caused by fluctuations of nuclear spins. We calculate the momentum relaxation time of electrons in quantum wells governed by the hyperfine interaction between electrons and nuclei and show that this time depends greatly on the spatial correlation of nuclear spins. Moreover, the scattering processes accompanied by a spin flip are a source of the backscattering of Dirac fermions at conducting surfaces of topological insulators.

  • Received 31 August 2015
  • Revised 4 May 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.045309

©2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

S. A. Tarasenko*

  • Ioffe Institute, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia

Guido Burkard

  • Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany

  • *tarasenko@coherent.ioffe.ru

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Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 4 — 15 July 2016

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