Generalization of the Onsager quantization condition for spin-orbit coupled systems

Full text: The oscillating resistivity of metals in magnetic field was explained by Onsager as a manifestation of quantum interference. Assuming that there are no coupled internal degrees of freedom, a charged particle will accumulate a phase when moving through a full loop in space, and this phase appears in the semi-classical expression for the energy spectrum. We present the extension of the semiclassical theory to spin systems in which both the orbital dynamic and internal dynamics are present, which implies that particle will acquire a total rotation in the internal space over a full loop. We demonstrate that for spin-½ systems, this allows the precessional dynamic of spin to be recovered from magnetic oscillations, and compare results of our theory with recent experiment. (author)