Exciton Spin Relaxation Time in Quantum Dots Measured by Continuous-Wave Photoluminescence Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel continuous-wave photoluminescence method to measure exciton spin relaxation times in quantum dots, revealing longer relaxation times than recombination times, with implications for spintronics.

Contribution

It presents a new measurement technique for exciton spin relaxation in quantum dots using continuous-wave photoluminescence spectroscopy.

Findings

Exciton spin relaxation time in CdTe quantum dots is approximately 4.8 ns.

The degree of circular polarization depends on the excitation spin state.

Relaxation time exceeds the exciton recombination time by an order of magnitude.

Abstract

We demonstrate a new method of measuring the exciton spin relaxation time in semiconductor nanostructures by continuous-wave photoluminescence. We find that for self-assembled CdTe quantum dots the degree of circular polarization of emission is larger when exciting polarized excitons into the lower energy spin state than in the case when the excitons are excited into the higher energy spin state. A simple rate equation model gives the exciton spin relaxation time in CdTe quantum dots equal to 4.8+/-0.3 ns, significantly longer than the quantum dot exciton recombination time 300 ps.