Spin-orbit interaction in InSb nanowires

Abstract

We use magnetoconductance measurements in dual-gated InSb nanowire devices, together with a theoretical analysis of weak antilocalization, to accurately extract spin-orbit strength. In particular, we show that magnetoconductance in our three-dimensional wires is very different compared to wires in two-dimensional electron gases. We obtain a large Rashba spin-orbit strength of 0.5-1eVÅ corresponding to a spin-orbit energy of 0.25-1meV. These values underline the potential of InSb nanowires in the study of Majorana fermions in hybrid semiconductor-superconductor devices.