Spin structure of Rashba-split electronic states of Bi overlayers on Cu(1Â 1Â 1)

We investigate the unoccupied Rashba-type spin-orbit split band structure of the commensurate and incommensurate Bi monolayer on Cu(1 1 1) with spin- and angle-resolved two-photon-photoemission spectroscopy. Because of the unique geometrical structure of these Bi monolayers on Cu(1 1 1), it can be expected that both in-plane and out-of-plane potential gradients play an important role for the Rashba-type spin-structure in these systems. Our spin-resolved data of spin-split states in Bi/Cu(1 1 1) confirm the expected Rashba behavior of the in-plane spin-components that is caused by the out-of-plane potential gradient. But in addition, we indeed find out-of-plane spin components with different magnitudes in both monolayer Bi/Cu(1 1 1) systems, which we therefore attribute to the structurally induced in-plane potential gradients.