Magneto-Optic Imaging of Electron-Spin Dynamics in Semiconductors Modulated by Surface Acoustic Waves

Abstract

The magneto-optic imaging technique is a powerful tool for visualizing electron spin dynamics in semiconductors. We employed time- and spatially-resolved magneto-optic Kerr measurements to investigate spin transport with dynamic dots, which are produced by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) propagating in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. Two-dimensional images of the electron spin flow reveal acoustically controllable spin precession behavior. The phenomena will provide the flexibility needed for spin manipulation in future spintronics applications.