Spin galvanic effect due to optical spin orientation in n-type GaAs quantum well structures

Abstract

Under oblique incidence of circularly polarized infrared radiation the spin-galvanic effect ~SGE! has been
unambiguously observed in ~001!-grown n-type GaAs quantum well structures in the absence of any external
magnetic field. Resonant intersubband transitions have been obtained making use of the tunability of the
free-electron laser FELIX. A microscopic theory of the SGE for intersubband transitions has been developed,
which is in good agreement with experimental findings.