- Perspective
Coherent spin precession in a Rashba two-dimensional electron system as an effect of special relativity
Phys. Rev. B 113, 139603 – Published 16 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pzzk-yxqb
Abstract
The prodigious career of E. I. Rashba produced many novel and important theoretical discoveries. The description of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in compound semiconductor materials and heterostructures that lack inversion symmetry continues to be of high interest to the condensed-matter and materials physics communities. This paper discusses work that led to a physical explanation of Rashba splitting. It then reviews two experiments that demonstrated conductance oscillations in a two-dimensional electron system channel and showed them to be Larmor waves in a magnetic field that resulted from a relativistic transformation of an intrinsic electric field.
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Honoring the legacy of Emmanuel Rashba
The passing of Professor Emmanuel Rashba in early 2025 was an irreparable loss to the physics community. For many decades prior, his numerous significant contributions have been driving solid state physics to surprising new places, realizations, and applications. To pay tribute to his many enduring, groundbreaking ideas, Physical Review B presents a special Collection with contributions by some of his disciples, collaborators, and connoisseurs of his mastery in top-shelf solid state research. Papers belonging to the collection will be published through 2026. It was initiated by Mark Dykman and Alexander Efros and colleagues. An Editorial from them and the contributed articles are linked below.
