Comprehensive Semiconductor Science and Technology　(Elsevier 2011)
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vol. 2, Chapter 3
Contact hyperfine interactions in semiconductor heterostructures
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yoshiro Hirayama
Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
ERATO Nuclear Spin Electronics Project, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan

Editors-in-Chief: Pallab Bhattacharya, Roberto Fornari, and Hiroshi Kamimura
ISBN: 978-0-444-53153-7
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/referenceworks/9780444531537

Abstract：
Nuclear spins interact with surrounding electrical environment and electron spins interact with surrounding nuclear spin environment. These interactions lead to a small shift and/or splitting of energy levels and are called hyperfine interactions. Especially, contact hyperfine interaction between nuclei and conductive carriers plays an essential role in manipulating nuclear spins (electron spins). Understanding and precise control of contact hyperfine interaction provide us with new possibilities to establish a highly sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and a coherent control of small quantity of nuclear spins in semiconductor hetero- and nanostructures. In this chapter, fundamental features of contact hyperfine interaction are overviewed together with related phenomena, such as electrical (optical) control, NMR based on hyperfine interactions, and coherent control of nuclear spins.


Chapter Outline：

2.03.1. Introduction

2.03.2. Background and History
　2.03.2.1. Contact Hyperfine Interaction
　2.03.2.2. Current-Induced Nuclear-Spin Polarization

2.03.3. Electron-Spin and Nuclear-Spin Interactions in Semiconductors
　2.03.3.1. Interactions Controlled by Optical Means
　2.03.3.2. Interaction Controlled by Electrical Means

2.03.4. NMR Based on Hyperfine Interaction
　2.03.4.1. Standard NMR versus Novel NMR
　2.03.4.2. Resistively Detected NMR
　2.03.4.3. Application to 2D Spin Physics
　2.03.4.4. Extension to Nanoscale Structures
　2.03.4.5. NMR on a Chip

2.03.5. Coherent Control of Nuclear Spin in Semiconductors
　2.03.5.1. Coherent Manipulation of Nuclear Spins
　2.03.5.2. Characteristics of Multiple Coherence
　2.03.5.3. Mechanism of Decoherence

2.03.6. Conclusions and Additional Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

Vitae

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TOPICAL REVIEW
"Electron-spin/nuclear-spin interactions and NMR in semiconductors"
Y Hirayama, G Yusa, K. Hashimoto, N Kumada, T Ota and K Muraki Semiconductor Science and Technologies, vol. 24, No. 2, 023001 (2009) (available at http://stacks.iop.org/0268-1242/24/023001)
(free from charge till February 20th, 2009)

Abstract:
The electron-spin/nuclear-spin interactions in semiconductors are summarized by putting emphasis on dynamical nuclear-spin polarization and detection achieved by using electrical means. These have been demonstrated in quantum dots in the spin-blockade regime, edge channel in the integer quantum-Hall-effect regime and bulk in the fractional quantum-Hall-effect regime. The electron-spin/nuclear-spin interactions, especially at the spin transition point of ν = 2/3 fractional filling, result in an almost linear relationship between nuclear-spin magnetization and the resistance value. As the nuclear-spin magnetization can be measured for a single layer and even for nanostructures by just measuring the resistance, the powerful features of nuclear magnetic resonance can be successfully applied to semiconductor quantum wells, bilayers and point-contact structures where characteristics are well controlled by gates. In GaAs point-contact devices, full coherent control of a quantum four-level system has been demonstrated for I = 3/2 As and Ga nuclei toward nuclear-spin-based quantum information processing. Multiple quantum coherence was clearly observed reflecting the direct detection of nuclear-spin magnetization. In quantum wells and bilayer systems, novel electron-spin features, such as spin texture, a canted spin state and related low-frequency spin fluctuations arising from the breakdown of planar symmetry, have been sensitively detected by using nuclear-spin-based measurements. We also discuss electron-spin fluctuations originating from spin–orbit interactions observed via a nuclear relaxation experiment and the characterization of the nanoscale strain obtained through quadrupolar splitting. Finally, a possible extension of nuclear-spin manipulation and nuclear-spin-based measurements is briefly discussed.