Evolution of the persistent spin helix in the presence of Hartree-Fock fields

Abstract

We derive a spin diffusion equation for a spin-orbit coupled two-dimensional electron gas including the Hartree-Fock field resulting from first order electron-electron interactions. We find that the lifetime of the persistent spin helix, which emerges for equal linear Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions, can be enhanced considerably for large initial spin polarizations due to the Hartree-Fock field. The reason is a reduction of the symmetry-breaking cubic Dresselhaus scattering rate by the Hartree-Fock field. Also higher harmonics are generated and the polarization of the persistent spin helix rotates out of the (Sy,Sz) plane acquiring a finite Sx component. This effect becomes more pronounced when the cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction is large.