Features due to spin-orbit coupling in the optical conductivity of single-layer graphene

P. Ingenhoven, J. Z. Bernad, U. Zuelicke, R. Egger

Published 2009-11-04, updated 2009-12-29Version 2

We have calculated the optical conductivity of a disorder-free single graphene sheet in the presence of spin-orbit coupling, using the Kubo formalism. Both intrinsic and structural-inversion-asymmetry induced types of spin splitting are considered within a low-energy continuum theory. Analytical results are obtained that allow us to identify distinct features arising from spin-orbit couplings. We point out how optical-conductivity measurements could offer a way to determine the strengths of spin splitting due to various origins in graphene.