All-optical evaluation of spin-orbit interaction based on diffusive spin motion in a two-dimensional electron gas
- IBM Research–Zürich, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon (Switzerland)
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg (Germany)
- Solid State Physics Laboratory, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich (Switzerland)
A method is presented that enables the measurement of spin-orbit coefficients in a diffusive two-dimensional electron gas without the need for processing the sample structure, applying electrical currents or resolving the spatial pattern of the spin mode. It is based on the dependence of the average electron velocity on the spatial distance between local excitation and detection of spin polarization, resulting in a variation of spin precession frequency that in an external magnetic field is linear in the spatial separation. By scanning the relative positions of the exciting and probing spots in a time-resolved Kerr rotation microscope, frequency gradients along the [100] and [010] crystal axes of GaAs/AlGaAs QWs are measured to obtain the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coefficients, α and β. This simple method can be applied in a variety of materials with electron diffusion for evaluating spin-orbit coefficients.
- OSTI ID:
- 22485966
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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