Effects of Photoluminescence polarization in semiconductor quantum well subjected to in-plane magnetic field

Strong optical polarization anisotropy observed in the exciton photoluminescence from [100]-oriented quantum wells subjected to the in-plane magnetic field is described within microscopic approach. Developed theory involves two sources of optical polarization anisotropy. The first of them is due to correlation between ψ-functions phase of electron and heavy hole which arise owing to electron Zeeman spin splitting and joint manifestation of low-symmetrical and Zeeman interactions of heavy holes in an in-plane magnetic field. Other optical polarization anisotropy source seems from the admixture of light-holes states to heavy-holes ones by low-symmetry interactions. The heavy hole splitting caused by this interactions separately and the effects of 5 their interference are analyzed. The domination of C2v low-symmetry interaction connected with quantum wells interfaces and/or in-plane deformations takes place in relatively low magnetic field. The directions of this perturbation determine mine directions of the π-periodical optical polarization anisotropy. The cubic anisotropy of valence band can add the π/2-periodical contribution of the optical polarization anisotropy. In the case of quantum wells with semimagnetic barriers the Zeeman term contribution can reach value, which dominates the C2v ones, and crossover to polarization connected with magnetic field direction may be observed in low temperature. (author)