Two dimensional electron liquid in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling: symmetric momentum space occupation states

The orientation of the local electron spin quantization axis in momentum space is identified as the most significant physical variable in determining the states of a two-dimensional electron liquid in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Within mean field theory several phases can be identified that are characterized by a simple symmetric momentum space occupation. The problem admits uniform paramagnetic as well as spin polarized chiral solutions. The latter have a nontrivial spin texture in momentum space and are constructed out of states that are not solutions of the non interacting Hamiltonian. The concept of generalized chirality as well as the stability of spatially homogeneous states are also discussed.