A polarized photoluminescence study of strained layer GaAs photocathodes

Photoluminescence measurements have been made on a set of epitaxially grown strained GaAs photocathode structures. The photocathodes are designed to exhibit a strain-induced enhancement of the electron spin polarization obtainable by optical pumping with circularly polarized radiation of near band gap energy. For the case of non-strained GaAs, the degree of spin polarization is limited to 50% by crystal symmetry. Under an appropriate uniaxial compression or tension, however, the valence band structure near the gap minimum is modified such that a spin polarization of 100% is theoretically possible. A total of nine samples with biaxial compressive strains ranging from zero to ∼0.8% are studied. X-ray diffraction analysis, utilizing Bragg reflections, is used to determine the crystal lattice structure of the samples. Luminescence spectra and luminescence circular polarization data are obtained at room temperature, ∼78 K and ∼12 K. The degree of luminescence circular polarization is used as a relative measure of the photo-excited electron spin polarization. The room temperature luminescence circular polarization data is compared with the measured electron spin polarization when the samples are used as electron photo-emitters with a negative electron affinity surface preparation. The luminescence data is also analyzed in conjunction with the crystal structure data with the goal of understanding the strain dependent valence band structure, optical pumping characteristics and spin depolarization mechanisms of the photocathode structures. A simple model is used to describe the luminescence data, obtained for the set of samples. Within the assumptions of the model, the deformation potentials a, b and d for GaAs are determined. The measured values are a = -10.16±.21 eV, b = -2.00±.05 eV and d = -4.87±.29 eV. Good agreement with published values of the deformation potentials provides support for the model used to describe the data