Spatial Analogue of Quantum Spin Dynamics via Spin-Orbit Interaction

Abstract: We map electron spin dynamics from time to space in quantum wires with spatially uniform and oscillating Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The presence of the spin-orbit interaction introduces pseudo-Zeeman couplings of the electron spins to effective magnetic fields. We show that by periodically modulating the spin-orbit coupling along the quantum wire axis, it is possible to create the spatial analogue of spin resonance, without the need for any real magnetic fields. The mapping of time-dependent operations onto a spatial axis suggests a new mode for quantum information processing in which gate operations are encoded into the band structure of the material. We describe a realization of such materials within nanowires at the interface of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures.