A general approach is derived for constructing an effective spin-orbit Hamiltonian for nonmagnetic materials, which is useful for calculating spin-dependent properties near an arbitrary point in momentum space with pseudospin degeneracy. The formalism is verified through comparisons with other approaches for III-V semiconductors, and its general applicability is illustrated by deriving the spin-orbit interaction and predicting spin lifetimes for strained SrTiO3 and a two-dimensional electron gas in SrTiO3 (such as at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface). These results suggest robust spin coherence and spin transport properties in SrTiO3-based materials at room temperature.
@article{arxiv.1311.2344,
title = {Derivation of effective spin-orbit Hamiltonians and spin lifetimes, with application to SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures},
author = {Cüneyt Şahin and Giovanni Vignale and Michael E. Flatté},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1311.2344},
year = {2014}
}