Strain-induced speed-up of Mn$^{2+}$ spin-lattice relaxation in (Cd,Mn)Te/(Cd,Mg)Te quantum wells: a time-resolved ODMR study

Abstract

This study examines the spin-lattice relaxation rate of Mn$^{2+}$ ions in strained diluted magnetic semiconductor (Cd,Mn)Te/(Cd,Mg)Te quantum wells using the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique. By adjusting the magnesium (Mg) content in the buffer layer, we created samples with different strain levels. Our time-resolved ODMR results show that the spin-lattice relaxation time becomes faster as strain increases. We also found that the relaxation rate increases with both magnetic field and temperature, showing a power-law behavior. To understand these observations, we used a theoretical model based on six-level rate equations with non-equal level separations. This model suggests that the main factor affecting relaxation in our samples is a "direct" mechanism. The model's predictions match well with our experimental data. Overall, our findings give insights into spin-lattice relaxation in strained quantum wells and could be important for the development of future quantum and spintronic devices.