Optical polarization of nuclei and ODNMR in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

Optical orientation of electrons was used to polarize the crystal lattice nuclei in quantum-size heterostructures and to study the effect of the conduction band spin splitting on the spin states of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) electrons drifting in an external electric field. High (～1%) nuclear polarization was registered using polarized luminescence and ODNMR in single GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. Measurement was made of the hyperfine interaction fields created by polarized nuclei on electrons and by electrons on nuclei. The spin-lattice relaxation of nuclei on the non-degenerate 2D electron gas was calculated. A comparison of the theoretical and experimental longitudinal relaxation times permitted the conclusion that the localized charge carriers are responsible for nuclear polarization in quantum wells in the temperature range of 2–77 K. A new effect has been studied, i.e. induction of an effective magnetic field acting on 2D electron spins when electrons drift in an external electric field in the quantum well plane. This effective field B_eff is due to the spin splitting of the conduction band of 2D electrons. The paper discusses possible registration of an ODNMR signal when the field B_eff is modulated by an electric current during optical orientation.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance study of the nuclear spin dynamics in an AlAs quantum well

The nuclear spin dynamics in an asymmetrically doped 16-nm AlAs quantum well grown along the [001] direction has been studied experimentally using the time decay of the Overhauser shift of paramagnetic resonance of conduction electrons. The nonzero spin polarization of nuclei causing the initial observed Overhauser shift is due the relaxation of the nonequilibrium spin polarization of electrons into the nuclear subsystem near electron paramagnetic resonance owing to the hyperfine interaction. The measured relaxation time of nuclear spins near the unity filling factor is (530 ± 30) min at the temperature T = 0.5 K. This value exceeds the characteristic spin relaxation times of nuclei in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures by more than an order of magnitude. This fact indicates the decrease in the strength of the hyperfine interaction in the AlAs quantum well in comparison with GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures.     

Antiferromagnetic s-d exchange coupling in GaMnAs

Measurements of coherent electron spin dynamics in Ga1-xMnxAs/Al0.4Ga0.6As quantum wells with 0.0006%相似文献   

Electrically driven spin dynamics of paramagnetic impurities

The spin dynamics of dilute paramagnetic impurities embedded in a semiconductor GaAs channel of a conventional lateral spin valve has been investigated. It is observed that the electron spin of paramagnetic Mn atoms can be polarized electrically when driven by a spin valve in the antiparallel configuration. The transient current through the MnAs/GaAs/MnAs spin valve bears the signature of the underlying spin dynamics driven by the exchange interaction between the conduction band electrons in GaAs and the localized Mn electron spins. The time constant for this interaction is observed to be dependent on temperature and is estimated to be 80 ns at 15 K.     

Optical orientation of Mn2+ ions in GaAs in weak longitudinal magnetic fields

We report on optical orientation of Mn2+ ions in bulk GaAs subject to weak longitudinal magnetic fields (B≤100 mT). A manganese spin polarization of 25% is directly evaluated by using spin-flip Raman scattering. The dynamical Mn2+ polarization occurs due to the s-d exchange interaction with optically oriented conduction band electrons. Time-resolved photoluminescence reveals a nontrivial electron spin dynamics, where the oriented Mn2+ ions tend to stabilize the electron spins.     

Spin polarization dependent optical transition rates observed in the integer quantum Hall region

We report on a field-dependent photoluminescence (PL) emission rate for the transitions between band states in modulation-doped CdTe/Cd_1−xMg_xTe single quantum wells in the integer quantum Hall region. The recombination time observed for the magneto-PL spectra varies in concomitance with the integer quantum Hall plateaus. Furthermore, different PL decay times were observed for the two circular polarizations, i.e. for the transitions between the Zeeman split subbands of the Landau levels. We analyzed the data in comparison with the experimentally determined spin polarization of the conduction electrons and the Zeeman splitting of the valence band. Furthermore, we discuss the relevance of the spin polarization of the conduction electrons, the electron–hole exchange interaction and the spin-flip processes of the hole states for the PL decay time.     

Isotopically engineered Si and Ge for spintronics and quantum computation

Si, Ge as well as SiGe structures are the promising materials for spintronics and quantum computation due to the fact that in both crystals only one isotope (²⁹Si and ⁷³Ge) has nuclear spin. As a result, isotope engineering of Si and Ge permits to control the density of nuclear spins and vary the spin coherence time, a crucial parameter in spintronics. In the first part we discuss the NMR study of nuclear spin decoherence in Ge single crystals with different abundance of the ⁷³Ge isotope. It was observed that the slow component of the dephasing process is elongated with depletion of Ge crystal with isotope ⁷³Ge. The second part is devoted to the development of the Kane's model of nuclear spin-based quantum computer, which uses the nuclear spin of ³¹P impurity atoms in a ²⁸Si matrix as quantum bits (qubits). We discuss a new method of placing ³¹P atoms in a ²⁸Si based on neutron-transmutation-doping of isotopically engineered Si and Ge. In the proposed structure, interqubit coupling is due to indirect hyperfine interaction of ³¹P nuclear spins with electrons localized in a ²⁸Si quasi-one-dimensional nanowire, which allows one to control the coupling between distant qubits.     

Orientational phase transitions in quadrupolar strands with itinerant-electrons

We consider a linear strand of chemically equivalent molecules of spin S = 1 which are free to rotate about their centres of mass fixed to a rigid lattice. The molecules interact via nearest-neighbour quadrupolar interactions and the electrons, occupying a half-filled, tight-binding conduction band, hop between nearest-neighbour molecules only. With a mean-field theory, we study the dependence of the metal-insulator phase transition temperature T_c on the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction, the electron-quadrupole interaction as well as the bandwidth of the conduction band.     

铁磁性高锰硅化物Mn_4Si_7电子特性的第一性原理计算

本文采用基于第一性原理的密度泛函理论超软雁势平面波方法,对铁磁性半导体高锰硅化合物Mn_4Si_7进行了理论计算.结果表明块体Mn_4Si_7是准直接带隙半导体材料,其价带主要是由Mn的3d轨道电子构成,导带主要是由Mn的3d及Si的3p轨道电子构成.相同自旋轨道下,自旋向下态的电子更容易占据较高的能级.而自旋向上态的电子对Mn_4Si_7的禁带宽度起主导作用. Mn_4Si_7的费米能级附近各轨道未被电子占满,且自旋向上态与自旋向下态电子的不对称分布使其具有了磁性.为Mn_4Si_7磁学特性提供主要贡献的是Mn的3d轨道电子,而Si的3p和3s轨道电子提供了一个小的贡献.     

Electron spin dynamics in a self-assembled semiconductor quantum dot: the limit of low magnetic fields

Using the trion as an optical probe, we uncover novel electron spin dynamics in CdSe/ZnSe Stranski-Krastanov quantum dots. The longitudinal spin lifetime obeys an inverse power law associated with recharging processes in the dot ensemble. No hint at spin-orbit mediated spin relaxation is found. At very weak magnetic fields (< 50 mT), electron spin dynamics related to the hyperfine interaction with the lattice nuclei is uncovered. A strong Knight field gives rise to nuclear ordering and formation of dynamical polarization on a 100-micros time scale under continuous electron spin pumping. The associated spin transients are temperature robust and can be observed up to 100 K.     

Nuclear spin switch in semiconductor quantum dots

We show that by illuminating an InGaAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot with circularly polarized light, the nuclei of atoms constituting the dot can be driven into a bistable regime, in which either a thresholdlike enhancement or reduction of the local nuclear field by up to 3 T can be generated by varying the pumping intensity. The excitation power threshold for such a nuclear spin "switch" is found to depend on both the external magnetic and electric fields. The switch is shown to arise from the strong feedback of the nuclear spin polarization on the dynamics of the spin transfer from electrons to the nuclei of the dot.     

Theory of Faraday rotation beats in quantum wells with large spin splitting

Spin dynamics of conduction electrons in a quantum well with a zinc blende structure is considered theoretically for the case where spin splitting exceeds the collisional broadening of energy levels. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the spin density component normal to the quantum well plane may oscillate with time even in the absence of an external magnetic field. These oscillations can be excited and detected using nonlinear two-pulse spectroscopy. Contrary to the case of small spin splitting, the external transverse magnetic field strongly affects spin dynamics in this regime.     

Optically detected electron spin polarization and Hanle effect in AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures

The spin polarization of optically created conduction electrons in p-type AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures was observed via the degree of circular polarization of the photoluminescence. Application of a magnetic field perpendicular to the propagation of the light allows one to determine the spin relaxation time T₁ and the electron lifetime τ in the conduction band. By tilting the magnetic field with respect to an estimate of the effective nuclear field acting on the electrons can be obtained.     

Korringa relaxation time of magnetic ion system near a two-dimensional electron gas

Spin relaxation of Mn ions in a (Cd,Mn)Te quantum well with quasi-two-dimensional carriers (Q2DEG) is investigated. The mechanism of energy transfer is spin-flip scattering of Mn spin with electrons making transitions between spin subbands accompanied by a change in the Mn spin. A calculation of the spin-flip scattering rate shows that the Mn spin relaxation rate is proportional to the coupling constant squared, the density of states squared, and the electron temperature, the so called Korringa relaxation rate. It was found that for small Mn ion concentration, the relaxation time ≈10−7-10−6s is in a good agreement with experimental results. Moreover, the relaxation rate scales with L⁻², L being the well width, and it can be enhanced over its value in bulk.     

Nuclear spin conversion in diatomic molecules

A mechanism of the internal interaction in dimers that mixes different nuclear spin modifications has been proposed. It has been shown that the intramolecular current associated with transitions between electronic terms of different parities can generate different magnetic fields on nuclei, leading to transitions between spin modifications and to the corresponding changes in rotational states. In the framework of the known quantum relaxation process, this interaction initiates irreversible conversion of nuclear spin modifications. The estimated conversion rate for nitrogen at atmospheric pressure is quite high (10^?3–10^?5 s^?1).     

Optical spin injection and spin lifetime in Ge heterostructures

We demonstrate optical orientation in Ge/SiGe quantum wells and study their spin properties. The ultrafast electron transfer from the center of the Brillouin zone to its edge allows us to achieve high spin polarizations and to resolve the spin dynamics of holes and electrons. The circular polarization degree of the direct gap photoluminescence exceeds the theoretical bulk limit, yielding ～37% and ～85% for transitions with heavy and light holes states, respectively. The spin lifetime of holes at the top of the valence band is estimated to be ～0.5 ps and it is governed by transitions between light and heavy hole states. Electrons at the bottom of the conduction band, on the other hand, have a spin lifetime that exceeds 5?ns below 150?K. Theoretical analysis of the spin relaxation indicates that phonon-induced intervalley scattering dictates the spin lifetime of electrons.     

Control of electron spin dynamics in a wide GaAs quantum well by a lateral confining potential

The spin dynamics of electrons laterally confined in a wide GaAs quantum well with the use of a special mosaic electrode deposited onto the sample plane has been investigated. Comparative measurements with a semitransparent electrode have been simultaneously carried out to distinguish changes in electron spin dynamics due to the band bending from those due to the lateral confinement controlled by applying an external bias. The electron spin lifetimes in the traps has been found to increase strongly with the applied bias. The measured values of the electron g-factor in the quantum well plane and the magnetic-field dependence of the electron spin lifetimes indicate the emergence of strong three-dimensional confinement in the center of an orifice in the mosaic electrode. The examined electron spin relaxation anisotropy is caused by the anisotropy of the confining potential.     

Quantum corrections to the electrical conduction in an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure

A new method for magneto-transport characterisation of semiconductor heterostructures is presented. The classical model of mixed conduction, modified by corrections resulting from quantum effects, has been used in the analysis of the conductivity-tensor components, magnetoresistance, and Hall coefficient in n-type Al_0.85Ga_0.15N/GaN in magnetic fields up to 12 T, in the temperature range from 2 to 295 K. The mixed conduction is due to high-mobility carriers in the conduction band in the interface and to low-mobility carriers in the conduction band in the GaN layer and in an impurity band. The corrections to the conduction of high-mobility carriers result from quantum effects: negative magnetoresistance, extraordinary Hall effect, and freeze-out of electrons. Negative magnetoresistance is due to localisation of electrons and to increasing tunnel coupling between electron states in different minima of a random potential, due to interface roughness. The extraordinary Hall effect has been explained by interaction of electrons with magnetic moments of dislocations in the interface. Decreasing concentration of electrons is probably due to Landau quantisation of the conduction band in the interface of the heterostructure. Received: 27 November 2000 / Accepted: 18 December 2000 / Published online: 3 April 2001     

Nuclear level densities and level spacing distributions from 20F to 244Am

The parameters of nuclear level density formulae have been determined from extensive and complete level schemes and neutron resonance densities for 24 nuclei between ²⁰F and ²⁴⁴Am. The constant temperature level-density formula and the Bethe formula are compared with the experimental level densities. Both formulae reproduce experimental densities equally well. The same nuclei have been used to obtain an A-dependent spin cut-off parameter for low-lying levels. The spacing distribution of levels with equal spins and parities at lower excitation energies is found to be much closer to an exponential distribution than to the Wigner distribution especially for even-even nuclei. This is at variance with previous theoretical expectations and interpretations of nuclear data compilations. It gives evidence for a further good quantum number at low excitation energies in addition to spin and parity or for very different structures.