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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 89 » Issue 16
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 166602 (2002) [4 pages]

Reduction of Spin Injection Efficiency by Interface Defect Spin Scattering in ZnMnSe/AlGaAs-GaAs Spin-Polarized Light-Emitting Diodes

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R. M. Stroud, A. T. Hanbicki, Y. D. Park*, G. Kioseoglou, A. G. Petukhov†, and B. T. Jonker
Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375

G. Itskos and A. Petrou
State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260

Received 24 October 2001; published 26 September 2002

We report the first experimental demonstration that interface microstructure limits diffusive electrical spin-injection efficiency across heteroepitaxial interfaces. An inverse correlation between spin-polarized electron injection efficiency and interface defect density is demonstrated for ZnMnSe/AlGaAs-GaAs spin-polarized light-emitting diodes that exhibit quantum well spin polarizations up to 85%. A theoretical treatment shows that the suppression of spin injection due to interface defects results from the contribution of the defect potential to the spin-orbit interaction, which increases the spin-flip scattering.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.166602
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.166602
PACS:
72.25.Hg, 61.72.Dd, 72.25.Mk, 72.25.Rb

*Current address: School of Physics and CSCMR, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea.

†Permanent address: Physics Department, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701.

 
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