Nondiffusive spin dynamics in a two-dimensional electron gas

Authors

Christopher P. Weber, Santa Clara UniversityFollow
J. Orenstein
B. Andrei Bernevig
Shou-Cheng Zhang
Jason Stephens
D. D. Awschalom

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-16-2007

Publisher

American Physical Society

Abstract

We describe measurements of spin dynamics in the two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs=GaAlAs quantum wells. Optical techniques, including transient spin-grating spectroscopy, are used to probe the relaxation rates of spin polarization waves in the wave vector range from zero to 6 x 10⁴ cm^-1. We find that the spin polarization lifetime is maximal at a nonzero wave vector, in contrast with expectations based on ordinary spin diffusion, but in quantitative agreement with recent theories that treat diffusion in the presence of spin-orbit coupling

Comments

Copyright © 2007 American Physical Society. Reprinted with permission.

Recommended Citation

Weber, C. P., Orenstein, J., Bernevig, B. A., Zhang, S.-C., Stephens, J., & Awschalom, D. D. (2007). Nondiffusive Spin Dynamics in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas. Physical Review Letters, 98(7), 076604. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.076604