Rashba spin-orbit effect on tunneling time in graphene superlattice

Abstract

Based on transfer-matrix and stationary phase methods, we have investigated the tunneling time (group delay time) through monolayer graphene superlattice in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interaction. It is found that the tunneling time has an oscillatory behavior with respect to Rashba spin-orbit interaction strength. Furthermore, the tunneling time for normal incident angle is independent of spin state of electron, while for oblique incident angles, it depends on the spin state of electron. It is also shown that, for normal incident, the Hartman effect vanishes, while for oblique incident, the Hartman effect appears whenever the x (the growth direction of superlattice) component of the electron wave vector inside the barriers is imaginary. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.