@phdthesis{Koenig2007,
author = {K{\"o}nig, Markus},
title = {Spin-related transport phenomena in HgTe-based quantum well structures},
url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-27301},
school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
year = {2007},
abstract = {Within the scope of this thesis, spin related transport phenomena have been investigated in HgTe/HgCdTe quantum well structures. This material exhibits peculiar band structure properties, which result in a strong spin-orbit interaction of the Rashba type. An inverted band structure, i.e., a reversed ordering of the energy states in comparison to common semiconductors, is obtained for quantum well layers above a critical thickness. Furthermore, the band structure properties can be controlled in the experiments by moderate gate voltages. Most prominently, the type of carriers in HgTe quantum wells can be changed from n to p due to the narrow energy gap. Along with the inverted band structure, this unique transition is the basis for the demonstration of the Quantum Spin Hall state, which is characterized by the existence of two one-dimensional spin-polarized edge states propagating in opposite directions, while the Fermi level in the bulk is in the energy gap. Since elastic scattering is suppressed by time reversal symmetry, a quantized conductance for charge and spin transport is predicted. Our experiments provide the first experimental demonstration of the QSH state. For samples with characteristic dimensions below the inelastic mean free path, charge conductance close to the expected value of 2e^2/h has been observed. Strong indication for the edge state transport was found in the experiments as well. For large samples, potential fluctuations lead to the appearance of local n-conducting regions which are considered to be the dominant source of backscattering. When time reversal symmetry is broken in a magnetic field, elastic scattering becomes possible and conductance is significantly suppressed. The suppression relies on a dominant orbital effect in a perpendicular field and a smaller Zeeman-like effect present for any field direction. For large perpendicular fields, a re-entrant quantum Hall state appears. This unique property is directly related to the non-trivial QSH insulator state. While clear evidence for the properties of charge transport was provided, the spin properties could not be addressed. This might be the goal of future experiments. In another set of experiments, the intrinsic spin Hall effect was studied. Its investigation was motivated by the possibility to create and to detect pure spin currents and spin accumulation. A non-local charging attributed to the SHE has been observed in a p-type H-shaped structure with large SO interaction, providing the first purely electrical demonstration of the SHE in a semiconductor system. A possibly more direct way to study the spin Hall effects opens up when the spin properties of the QSH edge states are taken into account. Then, the QSH edge states can be used either as an injector or a detector of spin polarization, depending on the actual configuration of the device. The experimental results indicate the existence of both intrinsic SHE and the inverse SHE independently of each other. If a spin-polarized current is injected from the QSH states into a region with Rashba SO interaction, the precession of the spin can been observed via the SHE. Both the spin injection and precession might be used for the realization of a spin-FET similar to the one proposed by Datta and Das. Another approach for the realization of a spin-based FET relies on a spin-interference device, in which the transmission is controlled via the Aharonov-Casher phase and the Berry phase, both due to the SO interaction. In the presented experiments, ring structures with tuneable SO coupling were studied. A complex interference pattern is observed as a function of external magnetic field and gate voltage. The dependence on the Rashba splitting is attributed to the Aharonov-Casher phase, whereas effects due to the Berry phase remain unresolved. This interpretation is confirmed by theoretical calculations, where multi-channel transport through the device has been assumed in agreement with the experimental results. Thus, our experiments provide the first direct observation of the AC effect in semiconductor structures. In conclusion, HgTe quantum well structures have proven to be an excellent template for studying spin-related transport phenomena: The QSHE relies on the peculiar band structure of the material and the existence of both the SHE and the AC effect is a consequence of the substantial spin-orbit interaction. While convincing results have been obtained for the various effects, several questions can not be fully answered yet. Some of them may be addressed by more extensive studies on devices already available. Other issues, however, ask, e.g., for further advances in sample fabrication or new approaches by different measurements techniques. Thus, future experiments may provide new, compelling insights for both the effects discussed in this thesis and, more generally, other spin-orbit related transport properties.},
subject = {Spin-Bahn-Wechselwirkung},
language = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Daumer2005,
author = {Daumer, Volker},
title = {Phase coherent transport phenomena in HgTe quantum well structures},
url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15538},
school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
year = {2005},
abstract = {Although spintronics has aroused increasing interest, much fundamental research has to be done. One important issue is the control over the electronic spin. Therefore, spin and phase coherent transport are very important phenomena. This thesis describes experiments with mercury based quantum well structures. This narrow gap material provides a very good template to study spin related effects. It exhibits large Zeeman spin splitting and Rashba spin-orbit splitting. The latter is at least four to five times larger than in III-V semiconductors. Initially a short review on the transport theory was presented. The main focus as on quantisation effects that are important to understand the related experiments. Thus, Shubnikov-de Haas and the quantum Hall effect have been analysed. Due to the first fabrication of nanostructures on Hg-based quantum well samples, the observation of ballistic transport effects could be expected. Hence, the Landauer-B¨uttiker theory has been introduced which gives the theoretical background to understand such effects. With respect to the main topic of this thesis, phase coherence has been introduced in detail. Experiments, where coherence effects could be observed, have been explained theoretically. Here, possible measurement setups have been discussed, e.g., a ring shaped structure to investigate the Aharonov-Bohm and related effects. Due to the fact, that all experiments, described in this thesis, were performed on Hg-based samples, the exceptional position of such samples among the \&\#147;classical\&\#148; semiconductors has been clarified. Hg1-xMnx Te quantum wells are type-III QWs in contrast to the type-I QWs formed by e.g., GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. With a well width of more than 6 nm and a manganese content of less than 7\% they exhibit an inverted band alignment. Band structure calculations based on self consistent Hartree calculations have been presented. The common description of a diluted magnetic semiconductor with the Brillouin function has been introduced and the experiments to obtain the empiric parameters T0 and S0 have been presented. Rashba spin-orbit splitting and giant Zeeman splitting have been explained theoretically and the magnetic ordering of a spin glass as well as the relevant interactions therein have been discussed. The next chapter describes the first realisation of nanostructures on Hg-based heterostructures. Several material specific problems have been solved, but the unique features of this material system mentioned above justify the effort. Interesting new insight could be found and will be found with these structures. Onto a series of QW samples, cross-shaped structures with several lead widths have been patterned. With the non-local resistance measurement setup, evidence for quasiballistic transport was demonstrated in cross-shaped structures with lead widths down to 0.45 mm. The non-local bend resistance and a regime of rebound trajectories as well as the anomalous Hall effect could be identified. Monte-Carlo simulations of the classical electron trajectories have been performed. A good agreement with the experimental data has been achieved by taking a random scattering process into account. Encouraged by this success the technology has been improved and ring-shaped structures with radii down to 1 mm have been fabricated. Low temperature (below 100 mK), four terminal resistance measurements exhibit clear Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. The period of the oscillations agrees very well with a calculation that takes only the sample geometry into account. One goal using such a structure is the experimental prove of the spin-orbit Berry phase. Therefore an additional Shottky gate on top of the ring was needed. With this structure evidence for the Aharonov-Casher effect was observed. Here, a perpendicular applied electric field causes analogous oscillations as does the magnetic field in the AB effect. A subsequent change in the Rashba SO splitting due to several applied gate voltages while measuring the AB effect should reveal the SO Berry phase. Although initially evidence of a phase change was detected, a clear proof for the direct measurement of the SO Berry phase could not be found. In the future, with an advanced sample structure, e.g., with an additional Hall bar next to the ring, which permits a synchronous measurement of the Rashba splitting, it might be possible to measure the SO Berry phase directly. In manganese doped HgTe QWs two different effects simultaneously cause spin splitting: the giant Zeeman and the Rashba effect. By analysing the Shubnikovde Haas oscillations and the node positions of their beating pattern, it has been possible to separate these two effects. Whereas the Rashba effect can be identified by its dependence on the structure inversion asymmetry, varied by the applied gate voltage, the giant Zeeman splitting is extracted from its strong temperature dependence, because Rashba splitting is temperature independent. The analysis revealed, that the Rashba splitting is larger than or comparable to the giant Zeeman splitting even at moderately high magnetic fields. In an extraordinary HgMnTe QW sample, that exhibits the n= 1 quantum Hall plateau from less than 1 T up to 28 T, the anomalous Hall effect could be excluded. Intense studies on the temperature dependence of the QHE as well as band structure calculations have revealed this extraordinary behaviour to be an ordinary band structure effect of this system. In a series of mesoscopic structures on nonmagnetic and magnetic QWs, an investigation of the universal conductance uctuations have been carried out. In the},
subject = {Quecksilbertellurid},
language = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Kehl2010,
author = {Kehl, Christian},
title = {Magnetic soft mode behaviour investigated via Multi-Spin Flip Raman Spectroscopy on near surface Cd1-xMnxTe/Cd1-yMgyTe Quantum wells},
url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-56088},
school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
year = {2010},
abstract = {In the context of the ongoing discussion about a carrier-induced ferromagnetic phase transition in diluted-magnetic II-VI semiconductors (DMS), theoretical studies on coherent dynamics of localized spins coupled with a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) in DMS quantum wells (QWs) were done by K.V. KAVOKIN. His key for studying the exchange interaction of the localized spin ensemble (e.g. Mn2+) with the 2DHG is the Larmor frequency of the localized Mn-ion spins and thus their Mn-g-factor. It was shown that the 2DHG affects a time evolution of the (Mn-) spin system in an in-plane magnetic field resulting in the reduction of its Larmor frequency (Mn-g-factor) under the influence of an oscillating effective field of holes. This is called magnetic soft mode (behaviour). The experimental access for demonstrating this Mn-g-factor reduction with increasing hole concentration is the method of Multi-Spin-Flip (SF) Raman scattering combined with the variation of the carrier concentration by photo-excitation with an additional light source (two-colour experiment). The main motivation for this thesis was the experimental confirmation of the theoretically predicted magnetic soft mode and the analysis of its dependence on the hole-concentration and external B-field, as well as its disappearance with increasing sample temperature. For that purpose, CdMnTe/CdMgTe QWs (Mn: 0.6\%, 1.0\%) positioned close to the sample surface (13-19nm) were investigated in an in-plane applied external magnetic field (up to 4.5T in Voigt-geometry) via a two-colour experiment i.e. using two light sources. This allows the spin excitation of Mn-ions by simultaneously tuning the hole-concentration towards the ferromagnetic phase transition by photo-generated carriers. Thus, one tuneable laser is responsible for resonant below-barrier excitation as a probe for Multi-SF Raman scattering. The other laser excites photo-generated carriers from above barrier (2.41eV) for tuning the hole concentration in the QW. Positioning the QW close to the sample surface causes a surface-induced p-doping of the QW (intrinsic hole concentration in the QW) and enables the active tuning of the hole concentration by photo-generated carriers due to different tunnelling behaviour of electrons and holes from the QW to the surface. The Mn-g-factor was decreased by quasi-continuously increasing the above-barrier illumination (and thus the hole concentration), while the below-barrier excitation (Multi-PR probe) was kept at a constant low power. This results in a Mn-g-factor reduction starting from its atomic value g=2.01 to lowest evaluated Mn-g-factor in this thesis g=1.77. This is a magnetic softening of 12\%. Apart from the general magnetic soft mode behaviour at low temperatures, one of the main experimental results in this thesis is the confirmation of the theoretical prediction that the magnetic soft mode behaviour in the external B-field does not only depend on the carrier concentration but also on the B-field strength itself. An additional aspect is the temperature dependence of the magnetic soft mode. The Mn-g-factor decrease is suppressed with increasing temperature almost reaching the atomic Mn-g-factor at 4.2K (g=1.99). This behaviour is due to the T-induced weakening of the transverse 2DHG spin susceptibility. The results of the investigations concerning the cap layer thickness impact on the QW carrier characteristics were investigated in the cap thickness range of 13nm to 19nm. The cap thickness configures on the one hand the intrinsic hole concentration of the QW ("2DHG offset") due to the surface-induced p-doping and sets the "starting point" for the Mn-g-factor reduction. On the other hand the cap thickness determines the probability of electron tunnelling to the surface and thus the efficiency of the hole tuning by light. The latter is the criterion for the range of Mn-g-factor reduction by light. This two dependences were pointed out by the photo-generated hole influence on the QW PL-spectra which results in tuning the exciton-trion ratio. In summary both mechanisms are of relevance for the hole tuning and thus for the magnetic soft-mode behaviour. The mechanism of tunnelling time prevails at small cap layer thicknesses while the surface-induced p-doping plays the major role for larger cap thicknesses (> 25nm). In conclusion, the presented method in this thesis is a sensitive tool to study the dynamics of the spin excitations and the paramagnetic susceptibility in the vicinity of the hole-induced ferromagnetic phase transition.},
subject = {Raman-Spektroskopie},
language = {en}
}