Strong spin-orbit interactions in a correlated two-dimensional electron system formed in $\mathrm{SrTi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}(001)$ films grown epitaxially on $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Si}(001)$

Strong spin-orbit interactions in a correlated two-dimensional electron system formed in $SrTi O_{3} (001)$ films grown epitaxially on $p − Si (001)$

Ryan J. Cottier, Barry D. Koehne, John T. Miracle, Daniel A. Currie, Nikoleta Theodoropoulou, Leonidas Pantelidis, Andrei Hernandez-Robles, and Arturo Ponce

Phys. Rev. B 102, 125423 – Published 18 September 2020

Abstract

We observe strong spin-orbit interactions in a two-dimensional electron system formed on $SrTi O_{3} (001)$ films grown epitaxially on p-Si(001). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and related analytical techniques reveal a sharp interface between Si and $SrTi O_{3}$ . Strain mapping analysis shows in-plane strain in $SrTi O_{3}$ very close to the interface. Analysis of the low temperature magnetoconductance measurements reveals that both quantum interference and electron-electron interactions are important. The contributions of these two quantum phenomena to the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the conductance and Hall effect are separated. The electron system has carrier concentrations larger than $10^{14} c m^{- 2}$ , appears to be confined within ∼4 nm, and has an estimated spin-splitting energy ∼12 meV.