Asymmetric spin relaxation induced by residual electron spin in semiconductor quantum-dot-superlattice hybrid nanosystem

Abstract

Asymmetric spin relaxation induced by the residual electron spin in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) adjacent to a superlattice (SL) was studied using spin- and time-resolved photoluminescence under the selective photoexcitation of the SL miniband states. Spin-polarized electrons were photoexcited in the SL barrier and then injected into the QDs through spin-conserving tunneling. The spin-polarized electron transport and the faster transport of the electrons as compared to the holes generate the residual majority electron spins in the QDs. A reversal of the optical spin polarity was observed at the ground state of the QDs, depending on the excitation powers. A rate equation analysis considering the individual spin-flip times between spin-split QD states indicates that the polarity reversal originates from the asymmetric spin-flip process at the excited state of the QDs. The asymmetric spin relaxation is associated with the selective relaxation of the spin-flipped electron and hole to the unoccupied ground state, which is induced by the existence of the residual majority electron spin at this state. In addition, we observed a clear recovery of the optical spin polarity by eliminating the existence of the residual electron spin through heavy p-doping. These findings are important to attain a fundamental understanding of the spin relaxation mechanism within the QDs and provide an insight into the manipulation of the optical spin polarity by controlling the residual electron spins in the QDs.