Electron spin splitting in polarization-doped III-nitrides

The Rashba spin-orbit splitting parameter has been calculated in wurtzite GaN/AlGaN heterostructures. Due to the strong polarization field at the interface and polarization-induced doping, the electron spin-split energy in GaN/AlGaN heterostructure is predicted to have the same order of magnitude as in narrow-gap III-V materials. This could make the GaN-based material system competitive in spintronic applications.