Spin noise spectroscopy in GaAs (110) quantum wells: Access to intrinsic spin lifetimes and equilibrium electron dynamics

Abstract

In this letter, the first spin noise spectroscopy measurements in semiconductor systems of reduced effective dimensionality are reported. The non-demolition measurement technique gives access to the otherwise concealed intrinsic, low temperature electron spin relaxation time of n-doped GaAs (110) quantum wells and to the corresponding low temperature anisotropic spin relaxation. The Brownian motion of the electrons within the spin noise probe laser spot becomes manifest in a modification of the spin noise line width. Thereby, the spatially resolved observation of the stochastic spin polarization uniquely allows to study electron dynamics at equilibrium conditions with a vanishing total momentum of the electron system.