The spin-orbit (SO) coupling is conventionally understood to be odd in momentum. Here, through model calculations, symmetry analysis, and the method of invariants, we reveal that, in ordinary semiconductor heterostructures with two subbands, a quadratic Dresselhaus SO term emerges via the intersubband effect while fully respecting time-reversal and spatial symmetries. We further find that this even-in-momentum SO field gives rise to a range of unconventional quantum phenomena, including hybridized swirling textures, anisotropic energy dispersion, avoided crossings, longitudinal Zitterbewegung, and opposite spin evolution between different subbands, in contrast to the effects of linear SO terms. Our results uncover a multisubband mechanism for generating even-order SO fields, establishing an alternative route for engineering unconventional spin behavior in semiconductor heterostructures.

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• Spin-orbit coupling
• Spintronics
• Quantum wells
• Symmetries in condensed matter
• k dot p method