Spin-dependent delay time in electronic resonant tunneling at zero magnetic field

The dependence of the phase tunneling time on electronic spin polarization in symmetric and asymmetric double-barrier semiconductor heterostructures is studied theoretically. The effective one-band Hamiltonian approximation and spin-dependent boundary conditions are used for theoretical investigation of the electron spin influence on the delay time in tunneling processes. It is shown that the spin-orbit splitting in the dispersion relation for the electrons can provide a dependence of the delay time on the electron spin polarization without additional magnetic field. This dependence can be controlled by an external electric field and can be very pronounced for realistic double-barrier semiconductor heterostrctures. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.