Demonstration of high sensitivity of microwave-induced resistance oscillations to circular polarization

We demonstrate that the long-debated immunity of the microwave-induced resistance oscillations (MIRO) to the sense of circular polarization is in fact not an inherent property of this phenomenon in solid-state two-dimensional electron systems (2DES): We detect an up to 30 times larger MIRO signal for the cyclotron resonance (CR) active helicity, fully consistent with the concurrently measured transmission and the deduced CR shape of the Drude absorption. Using a 2DES as a sensitive sensor of the actual polarization state, we further study extrinsic near-field effects capable of producing an apparent immunity of the photoresponse.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that the inherent property of microwave-induced resistance oscillations (MIRO) in solid-state two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) is not immune to the sense of circular polarization. The researchers found that the MIRO signal can be increased up to 30 times for the cyclotron resonance active helicity, which is consistent with the transmission and absorption shape of Drude. Additionally, the study investigates the extrinsic near-field effects that can produce an apparent immunity of the photoresponse using 2DES as a sensitive sensor of the polarization state.