Spin Transport in (110) GaAs-Based Cavity Structures

• Published in: Journal of superconductivity and novel magnetism Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 27 - 30
• Main Authors: Biermann, K., Couto, O. D. D., Cerda, E., de Carvalho, H. B., Hey, R., Santos, P. V.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.01.2010; Springer
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electronic transport in condensed matter; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Original Paper; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Spin polarized transport; Strongly Correlated Systems; Superconductivity; Spin dephasing; quantum well; Surface acoustic waves; Microcavity; Hanle effect; Effective field approximation; Spin polarized transport; Gallium arsenides; Quantum wells; Photoluminescence; Magnetic field effects; Acoustic surface waves; Hanle effect; Anisotropy; Electron mobility; Microcavities; Spatial resolution
• ISSN: 1557-1939; 1557-1947
• DOI: 10.1007/s10948-009-0562-x

The anisotropic spin dephasing of optically generated electrons in an undoped (110) GaAs quantum well inside a microcavity structure is investigated by means of spatially resolved photoluminescence experiments at a temperature of T =80 K. The dynamic type-II potential modulation induced by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) is used to transport electrons spatially separated from holes. Thus, the D’yakonov–Perel’ (DP) and the Bir–Aronov–Pikus spin dephasing mechanisms are suppressed, and electron spins can be transported over long distances of about 24 μm, which correspond to spin lifetimes of at least 8 ns. The spin vector can be rotated by an external in-plane magnetic field or by the effective in-plane field resulting from the structural inversion anisotropy induced by an intense SAW. This rotation generates an in-plane spin component that is subject to the DP spin dephasing mechanism. By means of Hanle effect measurements the lifetime of this in-plane spin component is found to be of 0.7 ns.