Spin-orbit interaction and spin relaxation in a two-dimensional electron gas

TL;DR

This study measures the spin-orbit field and spin relaxation in a 2D electron gas within an InGaAs quantum well, revealing temperature-dependent spin-orbit coefficients and partial explanations for observed spin dephasing rates.

Contribution

It provides experimental measurements of Dresselhaus and Rashba coefficients and estimates their impact on spin dephasing in a 2D electron gas, advancing understanding of spin dynamics.

Findings

Measured spin-orbit fields using time-resolved Faraday rotation.

Determined temperature-dependent Dresselhaus and Rashba coefficients.

Found that measured dephasing rates exceed D'yakonov-Perel' predictions, indicating other factors at play.

Abstract

Using time-resolved Faraday rotation, the drift-induced spin-orbit Field of a two-dimensional electron gas in an InGaAs quantum well is measured. Including measurements of the electron mobility, the Dresselhaus and Rashba coefficients are determined as a function of temperature between 10 and 80 K. By comparing the relative size of these terms with a measured in-plane anisotropy of the spin dephasing rate, the D'yakonv-Perel' contribution to spin dephasing is estimated. The measured dephasing rate is significantly larger than this, which can only partially be explained by an inhomogeneous g-factor.