Dr Steven Clowes

We report significant temperature dependence of the transverse electron g??factor in symmetric lead chalcogenide multi?quantum wells (MQWs). The g??factor values were extracted from the electron Larmor precessions recorded by means of a circularly polarized pump probe technique under the influence of transverse external magnetic field (Voigt geometry) in the temperature range between 10 and 150K. The reported g??factor values are in good agreement with theoretical predictions and available low temperature experimental data. Although temperature tuning of lead salt laser emission wavelengths has been the method of choice in these systems for many years, we demonstrate that temperature can also be used to modulate g?, and hence the spin lifetime in lead salt QW spintronic devices.

We report on the electrical detection of spin dependent photoconductivity in 500 nm wide InSb quantum well nanowires using the optical orientation of electron spins. By applying weak magnetic fields (H 200 mT), we observe a spin filtering effect of classical origin caused by spin dependent back scattering of electrons from the sidewalls. Spin dependent features in the longitudinal photovoltage decay with temperature and disappears at characteristic energy (H 50 K) consistent with the theoretical spin splitting and the thermal level broadening. We show that the observed signal is due to the inversion asymmetry of the quantum well, with an additional Zeeman contribution. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Laboratory spectroscopy of atomic hydrogen in a magnetic flux density of 10(5) T (1 gigagauss), the maximum observed on high-field magnetic white dwarfs, is impossible because practically available fields are about a thousand times less. In this regime, the cyclotron and binding energies become equal. Here we demonstrate Lyman series spectra for phosphorus impurities in silicon up to the equivalent field, which is scaled to 32.8 T by the effective mass and dielectric constant. The spectra reproduce the high-field theory for free hydrogen, with quadratic Zeeman splitting and strong mixing of spherical harmonics. They show the way for experiments on He and H(2) analogues, and for investigation of He(2), a bound molecule predicted under extreme field conditions.

This book contains the invited and contributed papers which were presented at this meeting and serves to provide a broad overview of the current worldwide ...

We report on the observation of linear and circular magnetogyrotropic photogalvanic effects in InSb/AlInSb quantum well structures. We show that intraband (Drude-like) absorption of terahertz radiation in the heterostructures causes a dc electric current in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field. The photocurrent behavior upon variation of the magnetic field strength, temperature and wavelength is studied. We show that at moderate magnetic fields the photocurrent exhibits a typical linear field dependence. At high magnetic fields, however, it becomes nonlinear and inverses its sign. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of the microscopic models based on asymmetric relaxation of carriers in the momentum space. We demonstrate that the observed nonlinearity of the photocurrent is caused by the large Zeeman spin splitting in InSb/AlInSb structures and an interplay of the spin-related and spin-independent roots of the magnetogyrotropic photogalvanic effect.

We measure transverse magnetically focused photocurrent signals in an InSb/InAlSb quantum well device. Using optical spin orientation by modulated circularly polarized light an electron spin-dependent signal is observed due to the spin-orbit interaction. Simulations of the focusing signal are performed using a classical billiard ball model, which includes both spin precession and a spin-dependent electron energy. The simulated data suggest that a signal dependent on the helicity of the incident light is expected for a Rashba parameter ± > 0.1 eVÅ and that a splitting of the focusing signal is not expected to be observed in linear polarized photocurrent and purely electrical measurements.

We have used two-color time-resolved spectroscopy to measure the relaxation of electron spin
polarizations in a bulk semiconductor. The circularly polarized pump beam induces a polarization either
by direct excitation from the valence band, or by free-carrier (Drude) absorption when tuned to an energy
below the band gap. We find that the spin relaxation time, measured with picosecond time resolution by
resonant induced Faraday rotation in both cases, increases in the presence of photogenerated holes. In the
case of the material chosen, n-InSb, the increase was from 14 to 38 ps.

We have used time resolved spectroscopy to measure the relaxation of spin polarization in InSb/AlInSb quantum wells (QWs) as a function of temperature and mobility. The results are consistent with the D'yakonov?Perel (DP) mechanism for high mobility samples over the temperature range from 50 to 300 K. For low mobility samples at high temperature the Elliott?Yafet and DP mechanisms become comparable. We show that the mobility can in certain circumstances determine which mechanism is dominant, and that above 1 m² V^-1 s^-1 in 20 nm wide InSb QWs it is the DP mechanism. We also give a criterion for the maximum spin lifetime in terms of mobility and temperature, and show that for our 20 nm wide QWs this corresponds to 0.5 ps at 300 K and mobility 1 m² V^-1 s^-1.

We have used time resolved spectroscopy to measure the relaxation of spin polarization in InSb/AlInSb quantum wells (QWs) as a function of temperature and mobility. The results are consistent with the D'yakonov - Perel (DP) mechanism for high mobility samples over the temperature range from 50 to 300 K. For low mobility samples at high temperature the Elliott - Yafet and DP mechanisms become comparable. We show that the mobility can in certain circumstances determine which mechanism is dominant, and that above 1 m(2) V-1 s(-1) in 20 nm wide InSb QWs it is the DP mechanism. We also give a criterion for the maximum spin lifetime in terms of mobility and temperature, and show that for our 20 nm wide QWs this corresponds to 0.5 ps at 300 K and mobility 1 m(2) V-1 s(-1).

We have used two-color time-resolved spectroscopy to measure the relaxation of electron spin polarizations in a bulk semiconductor. The circularly polarized pump beam induces a polarization either by direct excitation from the valence band, or by free-carrier (Drude) absorption when tuned to an energy below the band gap. We find that the spin relaxation time, measured with picosecond time resolution by resonant induced Faraday rotation in both cases, increases in the presence of photogenerated holes. In the case of the material chosen, n-InSb, the increase was from 14 to 38 ps.

We have used time-resolved spectroscopy to measure the relaxation of spin polarizations in the narrow gap semiconductor material n-InAs as a function of temperature, doping, and pump wavelength. The results are consistent with the D'Yakonov-Perel mechanism for temperatures between 77 and 300 K. However, the data suggest that electron-electron scattering should be taken into account in determining the dependence of the spin lifetime on the carrier concentration in the range 5.2×10^16?8.8×10¹⁷ cm^?3. For a sample with doping of 1.22×10¹⁷ cm^?3 the spin lifetime was 24 ps at room temperature. By applying a magnetic field in the sample plane we also observed coherent precession of the spins in the time domain, with a g>/i> factor g^*=?13, also at room temperature.

We have used time-resolved spectroscopy to measure the relaxation of spin polarizations in the narrow gap semiconductor material n-InAs as a function of temperature, doping, and pump wavelength. The results are consistent with the D'Yakonov-Perel mechanism for temperatures between 77 and 300 K. However, the data suggest that electron-electron scattering should be taken into account in determining the dependence of the spin lifetime on the carrier concentration in the range 5.2x10(16)-8.8x10(17) cm(-3). For a sample with doping of 1.22x10(17) cm(-3) the spin lifetime was 24 ps at room temperature. By applying a magnetic field in the sample plane we also observed coherent precession of the spins in the time domain, with a g factor g(*)=-13, also at room temperature.

We measure transverse magnetically focused photocurrent signals in an InSb/InAlSb quantum well device. Using optical spin orientation by modulated circularly polarized light an electron spin-dependent signal is observed due to the spin-orbit interaction. Simulations of the focusing signal are performed using a classical billiard ball model, which includes both spin precession and a spin-dependent electron energy. The simulated data suggest that a signal dependent on the helicity of the incident light is expected for a Rashba parameter ±0.1eVand that a splitting of the focusing signal is not expected to be observed in linear polarized photocurrent and purely electrical measurements. © 2012 American Physical Society.

This study reports on high energy bismuth ion implantation into silicon with a particular emphasis on the effect that annealing conditions have on the observed hyperfine structure of the Si:Bi donor state. A suppression of donor bound exciton, D0X, photoluminescence is observed in implanted samples which have been annealed at 700 °C relating to the presence of a dense layer of lattice defects that is formed during the implantation process. Hall measurments at 10 K show that this implant damage manifests itself at low temperatures as an abundance of p?type charge carriers, the density of which is observed to have a strong dependence on annealing temperature. Using resonant D0X photoconductivity, we are able to identify the presence of a hyperfine structure in samples annealed at a minimum temperature of 800 °C; however, higher temperatures are required to eliminate effects of implantation strain.

Group V donors in silicon are extremely promising candidates for applications within quantum technologies due to their long spin coherence lifetimes and existing compatibility within the microelectronics industry. However, there are various technical challenges which need to be overcome in order to achieve this potential. This body of work aims to address two such fabrication challenges and attempt to provide solutions which will aid the realisation of silicon and donor based quantum architectures.
Bismuth donors display a vast potential for the implementation as spin qubits however there are limited techniques to controllably fabricate a high quality Si:Bi doped system. Ion implantation is the leading candidate to achieve this although there are concerns that the violent mechanism of Bi+ bombardment into the silicon lattice will significantly degrade the condition of the crystal environment. Therefore, the formation of bismuth donor states in silicon using ion implantation is studied with a specific emphasis on the quality of dopant incorporation. Using a combination of electrical measurements and donor bound exciton spectroscopy it is determined that, under the appropriate annealing conditions, it is possible to produce ion implanted bismuth donors in an environment free from the effects of lattice strain. This therefore motivates the use of ion implanted samples as an alternative to bulk doped Si:Bi for applications within quantum technologies. Implanted samples are then fabricated into simple two terminal devices and used in electrically detected THz spectroscopy measurements. Using a free electron laser, the resonant excitation of implanted bismuth donors is observed, however the characteristic properties of photoconductivity spectra strongly suggest that devices are being heated significantly.
Finally, an alternative to bulk silicon is studied as a vehicle for quantum technologies. Specifically, the fabrication requirements to controllably align single crystal silicon nanowires is studied using a process known as dielectrophoresis, DEP. Here it is demonstrated that, under the appropriate experimental conditions, it is possible to utilise DEP to manipulate single silicon nanowires to fabricate a wide range of devices. This could prove highly beneficial for the integration of this material within quantum technologies.

This study reports the effect of an increasing ion dose on both the electrical activation yield and the characteristic properties of implanted bismuth donors in silicon. A strong dependence of implant fluence is observed on both the yield of bismuth donors and the measured impurity diffusion. This is such that higher ion concentrations result in both a decrease in activation and an enhancement in donor migration through interactions with mobile silicon lattice vacancies and interstitials. Furthermore, the effect of implant fluence on the properties of the Si:Bi donor bound exciton, D⁰X, is also explored using photoluminescence (PL) measurements. In the highest density sample, centers corresponding to the PL of bismuth D⁰Xs within both the high density region and the lower concentration diffused tail of the implanted donor profile are identifiable.

We have performed a high field magneto-absorption spectroscopy on silicon doped with a variety of single and double donor species. The magnetic field provides access to an experimental magnetic length, and the quadratic Zeeman effect in particular may~be used to extract the wavefunction radius without reliance on previously determined effective mass parameters. We were therefore able to determine the limits of validity for the standard one-band anisotropic effective mass model. We also provide improved parameters and use them for an independent check on the accuracy of effective mass theory. Finally, we show that the optically accessible excited state wavefunctions have the attractive property that interactions with neighbours are far more forgiving of position errors than (say) the ground state.

An innovative, extrudable material with the ability to filter the sun?s energy has been developed for the mass manufacture of high performance swimming pool covers. Solar radiation in the visible spectrum ( nm) is absorbed by the material so that minimal visible light enters the pool water which inhibits photosynthesis to prevent algae growth. Furthermore, the material has high transmission properties in the near infrared that can be efficiently absorbed by the water allowing for a higher temperature increase compared to a standard non-selective opaque cover. We have developed a model to enable the cover efficiency to convert solar energy to heat a swimming pool, calculated based on the wavelength dependent absorption and transmission properties of the cover. We have validated this model using dedicated full-scale test-facility. Our results demonstrate that a selective transmission cover can increase the absolute heating efficiencies by approximately 12% compared to the fully opaque equivalent.