Spin Splitting in Symmetrical SiGe Quantum Wells

Spin splitting of conduction electron states has been analyzed for all possible point symmetries of SiGe quantum well structures. A particular attention is paid to removal of spin degeneracy caused by the rotoinversion asymmetry of a (001) heterointerface between two diamond-lattice materials. The asymmetry is shown to result in spin splitting of both Rashba and Dresselhaus types in symmetrical SiGe quantum wells. Consequences of the spin splitting on spin relaxation are discussed.