The electron spin polarization (ESP) of the L-gap surface states on Au(111) is investigated theoretically by means of first-principles electronic-structure and photoemission calculations. The surface states show a large spin-orbit induced in-plane ESP which is perpendicular to the in-plane wavevector, in close analogy to a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction. The surface corrugation leads to a small ESP component normal to the surface, being not reported so far. The surface-states ESP can be probed qualitatively and quantitatively by spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, provided that the initial-state ESP is retained in the photoemission process and not obscured by spin-orbit induced polarization effects. Relativistic photoemission calculations provide detailed information on what photoemission set-ups allow to conclude from the photoelectron ESP on that of the surface states.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0305530,
title = {Spin polarization of the L-gap surface states on Au(111)},
author = {J. Henk and A. Ernst and P. Bruno},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0305530},
year = {2009}
}