APS March Meeting 2014
Volume 59, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 3–7, 2014;
Denver, Colorado
Session J8: Focus Session: Spin-Dependent Phenomena in Semiconductors: Spin Manipulation and Phenomena in Semiconductors
2:30 PM–5:30 PM,
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Room: 104
Sponsoring
Units:
GMAG DMP FIAP
Chair: Igor Zutic, University at Buffalo
Abstract ID: BAPS.2014.MAR.J8.13
Abstract: J8.00013 : Putting Spin into Lasers*
4:54 PM–5:30 PM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Jeongsu Lee
(State Univ of NY - Buffalo)
Considering circular polarization, an optical analog of electron spin,
semiconductor lasers with spin-polarized carriers can open up unexplored
possibilities for spin-controlled devices. Once spin-polarized carriers are
introduced in the gain region of lasers, by circularly polarized light or
electrical spin-injection, the operation of such spin-lasers should be
revisited to incorporate their novel properties. Spin-polarized carriers can
enhance the performance of lasers for communication and signal processing
[1]. In the steady-state, such spin-lasers already demonstrated a lower
threshold current for the lasing operation [2] compared to their
conventional (spin-unpolarized) counterparts, however, the most exciting
opportunities come from their dynamical operation. We reveal that the spin
modulation in lasers can lead to an improvement in the two key figures of
merit: enhanced bandwidth [3] and reduced parasitic frequency
modulation---chirp [4]. Analyses are carried out under generalized
modulation regimes we propose. Different mechanisms for quantum dots and
quantum wells as a gain medium are also discussed and we provide a mapping
between the two gain media. Spin states in quantum dots may also enable
elusive phonon lasers [5], which emitts coherent phonons instead of photons.
This work was performed in collaboration with R. Oszwa\l dowski, C.
G{\o}thgen, G. Boeris, and I. \v{Z}uti\'{c}.
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[1] J. Sinova and I. \v{Z}uti\'{c}, Nature Materials 11, 368 (2012);
Handbook of Spin Transport and Magnetism, edited by E. Y. Tsymbal and I.
\v{Z}uti\'{c} (CRC Press, New York, 2011).
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[2] J. Rudolph et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 241117 (2005); M. Holub et al,
Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 146603 (2007); S. Hovel et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 92,
041118 (2008); S. Iba, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 98, 08113 (2011); M. Holub
and B. T. Jonker, Phys. Rev. B 83, 125309 (2011).
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[3] J. Lee, W. Falls, R. Oszwa\l dowski, and I. \v{Z}uti\'{c}, Appl. Phys.
Lett. 97, 041116 (2010); J. Lee, R. Oszwa\l dowski, C. G{\o}thgen, and I.
\v{Z}uti\'{c}, Phys. Rev. B 85, 045314 (2012).
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[4] G. Bo\'{e}ris, J. Lee, K. V\'{y}born\'{y}, and I. \v{Z}uti\'{c}, Appl.
Phys. Lett. 100, 121111 (2012).
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[5] A. Khaetskii, V. N. Golovach, X. Hu, and I. \v{Z}uti\'{c}, Phys. Rev.
Lett. 111, 186601 (2013).
*Supported by NSF-ECCS, US ONR, and DOE-BES.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2014.MAR.J8.13