Nanosecond-scale magneto-exciton energy oscillations in quantum wells

Abstract: We report on the experimental evidence for a nanosecond time-scale spin memory based on nonradiative excitons. The effect manifests itself in magnetic-field-induced oscillations of the energy of the optically active (radiative) excitons. The oscillations detected by a spectrally-resolved pump-probe technique applied to a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well structure in a transverse magnetic field persist over a time scale, which is orders of magnitude longer than the characteristic decoherence time in the system. The effect is attributed to the spin-dependent electron-electron exchange interaction of the optically active and inactive excitons. The spin relaxation time of the electrons belonging to nonradiative excitons appears to be much longer than the hole spin relaxation time.