Spin relaxation time in a two-dimensional hole gas

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Abstract
The spin relaxation time in a two-dimensional hole gas has been studied from investigation of anomalous magnetoresistance in the inversion layer in a silicon film on sapphire substrates. The spin relaxation mechanism in two-dimensional systems has been observed to be due to the spin splitting of the ground electric sub-band, associated with heavy holes, because of the spin-orbit coupling in crystals without an inversion centre. The lack of symmetry centre in the inversion layer is due to the external electric field, which forms a hole gas near the silicon surface and gives rise to the asymmetry of the potential well, where carrier motion is quantised. Analysis of the experimental data has allowed the authors to determine the value of spin splitting as a function of hole density.