• M. Griesbeck
  • M. M. Glazov
  • T. Korn
  • E. Ya Sherman
  • D. Waller
  • C. Reichl
  • D. Schuh
  • W. Wegscheider
  • C. Schüller

We investigate the spin dynamics of high-mobility two-dimensional electrons in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells grown along the [001] and [110] directions by time-resolved Faraday rotation at low temperatures. In measurements on the (001)-grown structures without external magnetic fields, we observe coherent oscillations of the electron-spin polarization about the effective spin-orbit field. In nonquantizing magnetic fields applied normal to the sample plane, the cyclotron motion of the electrons rotates the effective spin-orbit field. This rotation leads to fast oscillations in the spin polarization about a nonzero value and a strong increase in the spin dephasing time in our experiments. These two effects are absent in the (110)-grown structure due to the different symmetry of its effective spin-orbit field. The measurements are in excellent agreement with our theoretical model.

Original languageEnglish
Article number241314
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume80
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Dec 2009

    Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

ID: 36466200