Terahertz out-of-plane resonances due to spin-orbit coupling

A microscopic kinetic theory is developed which allows to investigate non-Abelian SU(2) systems interacting with meanfields and spin-orbit coupling under magnetic fields in one, two, and three dimensions. The coupled kinetic equations for the scalar and spin components are presented and linearized with respect to an external electric field. The dynamical classical and quantum Hall effect are described in this way as well as the anomalous Hall effect where a new symmetric dynamical contribution to the conductivity is presented. The coupled density and spin response functions to an electric field are derived including arbitrary magnetic fields. The magnetic field induces a staircase structure at frequencies of the Landau levels. It is found that for linear Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling a dynamical out-of-plane spin response appears at these Landau level frequencies establishing terahertz resonances.

K. Morawetz · 2013