Optically pumped NMR: Revealing spin-dependent Landau level transitions in GaAs

K. Ramaswamy, S. Mui, S. A. Crooker, X. Pan, G. D. Sanders, C. J. Stanton, and S. E. Hayes

Phys. Rev. B 82, 085209 – Published 30 August 2010

Abstract

We show that high-resolution optically pumped NMR (OPNMR) studies can reveal spin-dependent optical transitions between valence- and conduction-band Landau levels in bulk semiconductors such as GaAs. The OPNMR signal intensity exhibits oscillations as a function of pump photon energy that evolve with magnetic field. In contrast to standard polarized magnetoabsorption measurements, OPNMR is sensitive to the polarization of the photoexcited electron spins (i.e., the difference between spin-up and spin-down electron populations rather than the sum). This allows one to clearly resolve the spin dependence of optical transitions that might normally be obscured in conventional magnetoabsorption studies. The data are in good agreement with theoretical calculations of the transitions from the spin-split light-hole Landau levels in the valence band to the conduction-band Landau levels of GaAs.