Spin-dependent electron dynamics and recombination in GaAs1-xNx alloys at room temperature
V. K. Kalevich, A. Yu. Shiryaev, E. L. Ivchenko, A. Yu. Egorov, L. Lombez*, D. Lagarde*, X. Marie*, T. Amand*
A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
*LNMO-INSA, 31077 Toulouse, France
PACS: 71.20.Nr, 72.25.-b, 78.47.+p, 78.55.Cr
Abstract
We report on both experimental and theoretical study of
conduction-electron spin polarization dynamics achieved by pulsed
optical pumping at room temperature in GaAs1-xNx alloys
with a small nitrogen content (x = 2.1, 2.7, 3.4%).
It is found
that the photoluminescence circular polarization determined by the
mean spin of free electrons reaches 40-45%
and this giant value
persists within 2 ns. Simultaneously, the total free-electron spin
decays rapidly with the characteristic time ps. The
results are explained by spin-dependent capture of free conduction
electrons on deep paramagnetic centers resulting in dynamical
polarization of bound electrons. We have developed a nonlinear
theory of spin dynamics in the coupled system of spin-polarized
free and localized carriers which describes the experimental
dependencies, in particular, electron spin quantum beats observed
in a transverse magnetic field.