Spin photocurrent, its spectra dependence, and current-induced spin polarization in an InGaAs/InAlAs two-dimensional electron gas

TL;DR

This paper experimentally demonstrates the relationship between spin photocurrent, current-induced spin polarization, and Rashba spin-orbit coupling in an InGaAs/InAlAs 2DEG, revealing a unified understanding of spin phenomena and the influence of structural asymmetry.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental correlation between spin photocurrent, spin polarization, and Rashba coupling strength in a 2DEG system with spectral analysis.

Findings

Spin photocurrent and spin polarization are experimentally demonstrated to be interconnected.

Spectral inversion of spin photocurrent indicates dominant structural inversion asymmetry.

The Rashba coupling strength correlates with observed spin phenomena.

Abstract

Converse effect of spin photocurrent and current induced spin polarization are experimentally demonstrated in the same two-dimensional electron gas system with Rashba spin splitting. Their consistency with the strength of the Rashba coupling as measured from beating of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveals a unified picture for the spin photocurrent, current-induced spin polarization and spin orbit coupling. In addition, the observed spectral inversion of the spin photocurrent indicates the system with dominating structure inversion asymmetry.