Electron spin filtering by thin GaNAs/GaAs multiquantum wells

Effectiveness of the recently discovered defect-engineered spin-filtering effect is closely examined in GaNAs/GaAs multiquantum wells (QWs) as a function of QW width. In spite of narrow well widths of 3-9 nm, rather efficient spin filtering is achieved at room temperature. It leads to electron spin polarization larger than 18% and an increase in photoluminescence intensity by 65% in the 9 nm wide QWs. A weaker spin filtering effect is observed in the narrower QWs, mainly due to a reduced sheet concentration of spin-filtering defects (e.g., Ga(i) interstitial defects).