skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Effects of spin diffusion on electron spin relaxation time measured with a time-resolved microscopic photoluminescence technique

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4906847· OSTI ID:22413036
;  [1]
  1. Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan)

We performed measurements at room temperature for a GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well grown on GaAs(110) using a time-resolved microscopic photoluminescence (micro-PL) technique to find what effects spin diffusion had on the measured electron spin relaxation time, τ{sub s}, and developed a method of estimating the spin diffusion coefficient, D{sub s}, using the measured data and the coupled drift-diffusion equations for spin polarized electrons. The spatial nonuniformities of τ{sub s} and the initial degree of electron spin polarization caused by the pump intensity distribution inside the focal spot were taken into account to explain the dependence of τ{sub s} on the measured spot size, i.e., a longer τ{sub s} for a smaller spot size. We estimated D{sub s} as ∼100 cm{sup 2}/s, which is similar to a value reported in the literature. We also provided a qualitative understanding on how spin diffusion lengthens τ{sub s} in micro-PL measurements.

OSTI ID:
22413036
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English