Spin relaxation in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum wells

Spin dynamics of photoexcited carriers in GaAs/A1(x)Ga(1-x)As quantum wells have been investigated in a wafer containing twelve different single quantum wells, allowing full investigation of well-width and temperature dependences with minimal accidental variations due to growth conditions. The behavior at low temperatures is dominated by excitonic effects, confirming results described in detail by others. Between 50 and 90 K there is a transition from excitonic to free-carrier-dominated behavior; both the temperature and time scale of the transition are in excellent agreement with a theoretical model for exciton dissociation. Above 90 K we find two-component spin decays consisting of an unresolved component (faster than 2 ps) associated with exciton dissociation and hole spin-relaxation and a longer-lived component that yields the electron spin-relaxation time. In the free-carrier regime, the electron spin-relaxation rate in wide wells follows that for bulk GaAs, which varies approximately as T-2. For narrow wells the rate is approximately independent of temperature and varies quadratically with confinement energy. This behavior is consistent with dominance of the D'yakonov-Perel mechanism of electron-spin relaxation and the expected behavior of the electron mobility. The data show evidence of the influence of electron scattering by interface roughness.