Spin Orientation And Relaxation Of Carriers In GaAs/A1GaAs Quantum Wells

Hsieh-Shin Chao; K. S. Wong; R. R. Alfano; H. Unlu; H. Morkoc

doi:10.1117/12.947218

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22 August 1988 Spin Orientation And Relaxation Of Carriers In GaAs/A1GaAs Quantum Wells

Hsieh-Shin Chao, K. S. Wong, R. R. Alfano, H. Unlu, H. Morkoc

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 0942, Ultrafast Laser Probe Phenomena in Bulk and Microstructure Semiconductors II; (1988) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.947218
Event: Advances in Semiconductors and Superconductors: Physics and Device Applications, 1988, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Angular and linear momentum of carriers in semiconductors can be oriented 1,2 using polarized light . Over past twenty years, spin alignment and relaxation in bulk samples have been studied by applying various techniques^3-7. The degree of carrier spin polarization depends on the optical matrix elements, selection rules, the symmetry of ^8-12 bands, crystal structure, excitations, relaxation mechanisms and dimensionality. The search for highly spin polarized source for high energy and atomic physics is still in progress. Optical pumping offers the most direct, convenient, and simple method. One of the ways to study spin alignment is to measure the degree of circular polarized photoluminescence. A great deal of work has been done on bulk semiconductors in particular GaAs. Since the energy states and phonon modes in quantum well are altered, the degree of spin polarization and spin relaxation processes in quantum wells should be different and may offer a new highly polarized spin source. At k=0, the valence band degeneracy in a quantum well is lifted and may give rise to higher spin polarization. In this paper, we report for the first time on the degree of spin alignment and spin relaxation of carriers at different energies in quantum wells using time resolved picosecond photoluminescence spectroscopy.

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Hsieh-Shin Chao, K. S. Wong, R. R. Alfano, H. Unlu, and H. Morkoc "Spin Orientation And Relaxation Of Carriers In GaAs/A1GaAs Quantum Wells", Proc. SPIE 0942, Ultrafast Laser Probe Phenomena in Bulk and Microstructure Semiconductors II, (22 August 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.947218

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