Using Light to Polarize and Detect Electron Spins in Silicon
Despite decades of research, demonstration of all-optical detection and control of free electron spins in silicon remains elusive. Here, we directly probe the electron spin properties in bulk silicon by measuring the polarization of luminescence following circularly polarized light excitation. The all-optical experiments performed for both direct and indirect gap excitation allow not only an experimental determination of the optical selection rules in silicon for the different phonon-assisted transitions but they also lead to the measurement of the spin relaxation of electrons in conditions that are not accessible using transport techniques. We also measure the spin properties of free excitons in bulk silicon, a very little explored field.
Authors
- Fabian Cadiz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4773-8147)
- X. Marie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-2517)
- A. Balocchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5252-5309)
- T. Amand (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3719-7444)
- P. Renucci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5123-8102)
- Delphine Lagarde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5314-8780)
- Laurent Lombez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7895-913X)
- C. Robert
Institutions
- École Polytechnique (FR)
- Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (FR)
- Institut Universitaire de France (FR)
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée (FR)
- Institut Polytechnique de Paris (FR)
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie des Nano-Objets (FR)
- Laboratoire de physique de la matière condensée (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Letters
- Published
- 2025-03-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.134.106902
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Quantum and electron transport phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.25
Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche