Electron Interactions in Rashba Materials

Understanding and manipulating quantum materials—where electron interactions, spin-orbit coupling, and engineered band structures combine to create new phases of matter—is at the forefront of condensed matter physics. Spin-orbit interaction (SOI), once considered a relativistically small effect, now plays a crucial role in many quantum materials by locking an electron's spin to its momentum, dramatically affecting its dynamics under external electric fields. This enables control of spin states using electric fields rather than magnetic ones, offering significant advantages for spintronics aimed at advanced computing and data storage technologies.

 

In this talk, I introduce Pair SOI, a novel mechanism arising directly from the Coulomb electric fields between electrons. Unlike conventional SOI, Pair SOI affects two-electron interactions, making them both spin- and momentum-dependent. I will demonstrate how Pair SOI leads to unconventional electron pairing, resulting in p-wave superconducting phases that mirror those in superfluid helium-3 and can produce time-reversal-invariant topological superconductivity in two-dimensional systems—a key interest for quantum computing. Additionally, Pair SOI can induce ferromagnetism by aligning electron spins and altering the topology of the Fermi surface from a sphere to a torus. Understanding these phenomena opens new avenues in spintronics and quantum materials, potentially leading to advanced technologies in computing and data storage.