Room-temperature spin-oriented photocurrent under near-infrared irradiation and comparison of optical means with Shubnikov de-Haas measurements in AlxGa1−xN∕GaN heterostructures

Abstract

The admixture of linear and circular photogalvanic effects and (CPGEs) in AlxGa1−xN∕GaN heterostructures has been investigated quantitatively by near-infrared irradiation at room temperature. The spin-based photocurrent that the authors have observed solidly indicates the sizable spin-orbital interaction of the two-dimensional electron gas in the heterostructures. Further analysis shows consistency between studies by optical and magnetic (Shubnikov de-Haas) measurements on the spin-orbital coupling effects among different AlxGa1−xN∕GaN heterostructures, indicating that the CPGE measurement is a good way to investigate the spin splitting and the spin polarization in semiconductors.