Optically detected spin resonance of conduction band electrons in InGaAs/InP quantum wells

Optically detected spin resonance was used to measure the effective g-value (g*) of electrons at the conduction band minimum in type-I In(0.53)Ga(0.4)7As/InP quantum wells. The experiments showed that the spin resonance is induced by electric dipole transitions, and hence is not limited by the short carrier lifetime that renders magnetic dipole transitions impossible. The spin splittings obtained are strongly anisotropic and dependent on quantum well thickness. A calculation without adjustable parameters, using a three-band Kane model, agrees with the experimental data. The bulk effective g-value of In0.53Ga0.47As used in this calculation was measured on a thick sample.