Zitterbewegung of Electronic Wave Packets in III-V Zinc-Blende Semiconductor Quantum Wells

Abstract

We study the zitterbewegung of electronic wave packets in III-V zinc-blende semiconductor quantum wells due to spin-orbit coupling. Our results suggest a direct experimental proof of this fundamental effect, confirming a long-standing theoretical prediction. For electron motion in a harmonic quantum wire, we numerically and analytically find a resonance condition maximizing the zitterbewegung.