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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing
Published on: December 3, 2013
Spin polarization of semiconductor carriers by reflection off a ferromagnet
C Ciuti1, J P McGuire, L J Sham
1Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0319, USA.
Abstract:
We present a theory of generation or alteration of the electron spin coherence and population in an n-doped semiconductor by reflection at the interface with a ferromagnet. The dependence of the spin reflection on the Schottky barrier height and the doping concentration in the semiconductor was computed for a generic model. The theory provides an explanation for the spontaneous electron spin coherence and nuclear polarization in the semiconductor interfaced with a ferromagnet and associated phenomena recently observed by time-resolved Faraday rotation experiments. The study also points to an alternative approach to spintronics different from spin injection.
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