Optical orientation of electron spins in GaAs quantum wells

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autoren

  • Stefan Pfalz
  • Roland Winkler
  • Tobias Nowitzki
  • Dirk Reuter
  • Andreas D. Wieck
  • Daniel Hägele
  • Michael Oestreich

Organisationseinheiten

Externe Organisationen

  • Ruhr-Universität Bochum
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Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer165305
FachzeitschriftPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Jahrgang71
Ausgabenummer16
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 7 Apr. 2005

Abstract

We present a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the optical orientation of electron spins in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells. Using time and polarization resolved photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, the initial degree of electron-spin polarization is measured as a function of excitation energy for a sequence of quantum wells with well widths between 63 and 198 Å. The experimental results are compared with an accurate theory of excitonic absorption taking fully into account electron-hole Coulomb correlations and heavy-hole-light-hole coupling. We find in wide quantum wells that the measured initial degree of polarization of the luminescence follows closely the spin polarization of the optically excited electrons calculated as a function of energy. This implies that the orientation of the electron spins is essentially preserved when the electrons relax from the optically excited high-energy states to quasithermal equilibrium of their momenta. Due to initial spin relaxation, the measured polarization in narrow quantum wells is reduced by a constant factor that does not depend on the excitation energy.

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Zitieren

Optical orientation of electron spins in GaAs quantum wells. / Pfalz, Stefan; Winkler, Roland; Nowitzki, Tobias et al.
in: Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Jahrgang 71, Nr. 16, 165305, 07.04.2005.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Pfalz S, Winkler R, Nowitzki T, Reuter D, Wieck AD, Hägele D et al. Optical orientation of electron spins in GaAs quantum wells. Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 2005 Apr 7;71(16):165305. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.71.165305
Pfalz, Stefan ; Winkler, Roland ; Nowitzki, Tobias et al. / Optical orientation of electron spins in GaAs quantum wells. in: Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 2005 ; Jahrgang 71, Nr. 16.
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AU - Pfalz, Stefan

AU - Winkler, Roland

AU - Nowitzki, Tobias

AU - Reuter, Dirk

AU - Wieck, Andreas D.

AU - Hägele, Daniel

AU - Oestreich, Michael

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N2 - We present a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the optical orientation of electron spins in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells. Using time and polarization resolved photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, the initial degree of electron-spin polarization is measured as a function of excitation energy for a sequence of quantum wells with well widths between 63 and 198 Å. The experimental results are compared with an accurate theory of excitonic absorption taking fully into account electron-hole Coulomb correlations and heavy-hole-light-hole coupling. We find in wide quantum wells that the measured initial degree of polarization of the luminescence follows closely the spin polarization of the optically excited electrons calculated as a function of energy. This implies that the orientation of the electron spins is essentially preserved when the electrons relax from the optically excited high-energy states to quasithermal equilibrium of their momenta. Due to initial spin relaxation, the measured polarization in narrow quantum wells is reduced by a constant factor that does not depend on the excitation energy.

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