  A major impediment towards realizing technologies based on the emerging
principles of antiferromagnetic spintronics is the shortage of suitable
materials. In this paper, we propose a design of polar|nonpolar
heterostructures of perovskite oxides, where a single unit cell of SrIrO3 is
sandwiched between a thin film of LaAlO3 and a substrate of SrTiO3. Our
calculations within the framework of density-functional theory + Hubbard U +
spin-orbit coupling reveal a two-dimensional conducting layer with electron and
hole pockets at the interface, exhibiting a strong anisotropic
Rashba-Dresselhaus effect along with noncollinear antiferromagnetism,
indicating the possibility of realizing a spin-orbit torque. An insightful
physical model for the anisotropic Rashba-Dresselhaus effect nicely interprets
our results, providing an estimate for the Rashba-Dresselhaus coefficients and
illustrating pseudospin orientation.We also observe a proximity-induced
prominent Rashba-like effect for Ti 3d empty bands. Our results suggest that
the heterostructure may possess the essential ingredients for antiferromagnetic
spintronics, deserving experimental verification.
