Double Reflection of Electron Spin in Semiconductors

Reflection of spin-polarized electron from a potential barrier in bulk semiconductor in the presence of spin-orbit interaction is considered. The spin-orbit interaction brings about double electron reflection at oblique incidence of electronic beam onto the barrier. The competition between the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit mechanisms during double reflection is discussed. The problem was solved within the Clifford algebra framework, which allows one to describe the spin in a real Euclidean $ℰ_3$ space rather than in an abstract Hilbert space.