Generation of spin polarized currents with coherent trapping in magnetic semiconductors

A semiconductor heterostructure consisting of two quantum wells, one of them magnetically doped, is proposed for the generation of spin currents by two lasers tuned at the resonances formed between two lowest energy states (1 and 2) and the continuum (3), which are set by design to be in a Lambda like configuration. By numerically simulating the proposed structure under the action of the laser fields, we are able to observe the formation of a quasi-dark state near the resonance. The structure's design has been idealized as to place state 2 in the magnetically doped quantum-well, where a constant magnetic field breaks the electronic spin degeneracy, leading to the giant Zeeman splitting. This ensures that only one of the electronic spins is driven into a dark resonance, thus blocking it from escaping the system. The other spin is free to escape, so that a spin polarized photocurrent is generated. The polarization can be switched by changing the frequency of the controlling laser. Since this kind of trapping is based on quantum interference, the switching times are expected to be fast. In our simulation, we do not simplify the structure down to level modeling, rather we simulate the full structure under time dependent oscillating laser fields and then identify the signatures that indicate a three-level like behavior. We based our search for the structure on real doping parameters found in real materials used in the literature, however the idea relies on the potential profiles studied, and the presence of the giant splitting, regardless of the underlying material that may be used.