Room-temperature ultrafast carrier and spin dynamics in GaAs probed by the photoinduced magneto-optical Kerr effect

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2001 · Physical Review B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.63.235201· OSTI ID:40203567

Kimel, A V; Bentivegna, F; Gridnev, V N; Pavlov, V V; Pisarev, R V; Rasing, Th

The picosecond and subpicosecond dynamics of spins in intrinsic and n-doped GaAs is investigated at room temperature using the time-resolved, pump and probe, photoinduced, near-resonant magneto-optical Kerr effect between 1.44 and 1.63 eV. Three components with different temporal and spectral behavior are distinguished in both Kerr rotation and ellipticity, and their origin is discussed in relation with theoretical predictions and simulations. Two contributions are attributed to the splitting of the spin sublevels. The first one, present only as long as pump and probe pulses coincide in time, is a coherent response accounted for in terms of the optical Stark effect, whereas the longer decay of the second one, up to 35 ps, is attributed to electron spin relaxation. The third component is assumed to arise from the difference in population of the photoexcited states and decays within a time smaller than the pulse duration, which is attributed to the energy relaxation of electrons towards the bottom of the conduction band through carrier-carrier and carrier-phonon scattering.

• Sponsoring Organization: (US)
• OSTI ID: 40203567
• Journal Information: Physical Review B, Journal Name: Physical Review B Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 63; ISSN 0163-1829
• Publisher: The American Physical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DECAY
ELECTRONS
KERR EFFECT
ORIGIN
PROBES
RELAXATION
ROTATION
SCATTERING
SPIN
STARK EFFECT