Photoluminescence studies of Zeeman effect in type-II InSb/InAs nanostructures

TL;DR

This study investigates the Zeeman effect in type-II InSb/InAs nanostructures, revealing high electron spin polarization and its dependence on magnetic field and temperature through photoluminescence analysis.

Contribution

It provides new insights into spin polarization behavior in type-II heterostructures and models the effects using a tight-binding approach and phenomenological theory.

Findings

Electron spin polarization reaches 100% in certain conditions.

Polarization degree decreases and changes sign with temperature and excitation.

Theoretical models agree with experimental temperature dependence.

Abstract

Electron spin polarization up to 100% has been observed in type-II narrow-gap heterostructures with ultrathin InSb insertions in an InAs matrix via investigation of circularly polarized photoluminescence in an external magnetic field applied in Faraday geometry. The polarization degree decreases drastically, changes its sign, and saturates finally at the value of 10% in the limit of either high temperature or strong excitation. The observed effect is explained in terms of strong Zeeman splitting of the electron conduction band in the InAs matrix and a heavy-hole state confined in the InSb insertion, due to a large intrinsic g-factor of both types of carriers. The hole ground state in a monolayer scale InSb/InAs quantum well, calculated using a tight-binding approach, fits well the observed emission wavelength. Temperature dependence of the emission polarization degree is in good agreement with its theoretical estimation performed in the framework of a proposed phenomenological model.