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Pump–probe second harmonic generation study of ultrafast spin dynamics in semiconductor multilayers
Author(s) -
Glinka Yu. D.,
Shahbazyan T. V.,
Perakis I. E.,
Tolk N. H.,
Liu X.,
Sasaki Y.,
Furdyna J. K.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1513
Subject(s) - magnetization dynamics , magnetization , condensed matter physics , relaxation (psychology) , second harmonic generation , heterojunction , spin (aerodynamics) , excited state , semiconductor , electron , ultrashort pulse , magnetic semiconductor , materials science , chemistry , optoelectronics , magnetic field , physics , atomic physics , optics , laser , psychology , social psychology , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Abstract We report the first application of pump–probe second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements to characterize optically induced magnetization in non‐magnetic multilayer semiconductors. In the experiment, spin‐polarized electrons are excited selectively by a pump beam in the GaAs layer of GaAs/GaSb/InAs structures. However, the resulting net magnetization manifests itself through the induced SHG probe signal from the GaSb/InAs interface, thus indicating a spin‐polarized electron transport across the heterostructure. We find that the magnetization dynamics are governed by an interplay between the spin density evolution at the interfaces and the spin relaxation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.