Conduction Electrons In Silicon Research Articles

Monte Carlo simulation of spin relaxation of conduction electrons in silicon

Recently, electrical injection of spin polarization in n-type and p-type silicon up to room-temperature has been experimentally carried out. Despite of these promising experimental results, a comprehensive theoretical framework concerning the influence of transport conditions on the spin depolarization process in silicon structures, in a wide range of values of temperature, doping concentration and amplitude of external fields, is still in a developing stage. In this contribution we use a semiclassical multiparticle Monte Carlo approach to simulate the electron transport and spin dynamics in lightly doped n-type Si crystals and numerically calculate the spin lifetimes of drifting electrons. Spin flipping is taken into account through the Elliot-Yafet mechanism, which is dominant in group IV materials. We discuss the influence of different intravalley and intervalley phonon interactions in the spin relaxation process during the spin transport. Our findings are in good agreement with those obtained by using different theoretical approaches. Moreover, our Monte Carlo predictions, in ranges of temperature and field amplitude yet unexplored, can guide future experimental studies towards a more effective design of room-temperature silicon based spintronic-devices.

Monte Carlo simulation of spin relaxation of conduction electrons in silicon

Recently, electrical injection of spin polarization in n-type and p-type silicon up to room-temperature has been experimentally carried out. Despite of these promising experimental results, a comprehensive theoretical framework concerning the influence of transport conditions on the spin depolarization process in silicon structures, in a wide range of values of temperature, doping concentration and amplitude of external fields, is still in a developing stage. In this contribution we use a semiclassical multiparticle Monte Carlo approach to simulate the electron transport and spin dynamics in lightly doped n-type Si crystals and numerically calculate the spin lifetimes of drifting electrons. Spin flipping is taken into account through the Elliot-Yafet mechanism, which is dominant in group IV materials. We discuss the influence of different intravalley and intervalley phonon interactions in the spin relaxation process during the spin transport. Our findings are in good agreement with those obtained by using different theoretical approaches. Moreover, our Monte Carlo predictions, in ranges of temperature and field amplitude yet unexplored, can guide future experimental studies towards a more effective design of room-temperature silicon based spintronic-devices.

Analysis of phonon-induced spin relaxation processes in silicon

We study all of the leading-order contributions to spin relaxation of conduction electrons in silicon due to the electron-phonon interaction. Using group theory, the $k\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}p$ perturbation method, and the rigid-ion model, we derive an extensive set of matrix element expressions for all of the important spin-flip transitions in the multivalley conduction band. The scattering angle has an explicit dependence on the electron wave vectors, phonon polarization, valley position, and spin orientation of the electron. Comparison of the derived analytical expressions with results of empirical pseudopotential and adiabatic band charge models shows excellent agreement.

Lande factor of the conduction electrons in silicon: temperature dependence

Temperature dependence of the electron g-factor in silicon has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical consideration is based on the renormalization of the electron energy in a weak magnetic field by the electron-phonon interaction in the second-order perturbation theory. Interaction of the electron subsystem with the lattice vibrations results in decreasing the conduction electron g-factor. This decreasing was observed experimentally in the electron spin resonance studies for n-Si samples.

Spin-Orbit Symmetries of Conduction Electrons in Silicon

We derive a spin-dependent Hamiltonian that captures the symmetry of the zone edge states in silicon. We present analytical expressions of the spin-dependent states and of spin relaxation due to electron-phonon interactions in the multivalley conduction band. We find excellent agreement with experimental results. Similar to the usage of the Kane Hamiltonian in direct band-gap semiconductors, the new Hamiltonian can be used to study spin properties of electrons in silicon.

Hyperfine interactions in silicon quantum dots

A fundamental interaction for electrons is their hyperfine interaction (HFI) with nuclear spins. HFI is well characterized in free atoms and molecules, and is crucial for purposes from chemical identification of atoms to trapped ion quantum computing. However, electron wave functions near atomic sites, therefore HFI, are often not accurately known in solids. Here we perform an all-electron calculation for conduction electrons in silicon and obtain reliable information on HFI. We verify the outstanding quantum spin coherence in Si, which is critical for fault-tolerant solid state quantum computing.

Anisotropy of phosphorous electron donor state in strained clusters in silicon at low temperatures

An anisotropic EPR spectrum at T = 4 K was observed in silicon samples irradiated by phosphorus ions and subsequently annealed at 1000°C. Epitaxial silicon layers with a natural isotope composition and enriched by 28Si isotope grown on a natural silicon wafer were investigated. The spectrum consisted of three lines corresponding to different g-factor components: gx,gy, and gz. The central line was overlapped by the isotropic line coinciding by its g-factor with the line of the conduction electrons in silicon. The shape of the spectral lines indicated that the spectrum was due to the paramagnetic centers which belong to the randomly oriented clusters with the anisotropic g-factor. The nature of the anisotropic EPR spectrum is due to the electrons localized on donors located in the strained phosphorous clusters. The strains were caused by either incompletely annealed defects after the phosphorous implantation (E = 40 keV, D = 2 × 1014 cm−2, Tann = 1000°C, 1 h) or phosphorous atoms in clusters. The distance between the components strongly depended on the temperature and microwave power and decreased as they increased.

Theory of the Spin Relaxation of Conduction Electrons in Silicon

A realistic pseudopotential model is introduced to investigate the phonon-induced spin relaxation of conduction electrons in bulk silicon. We find a surprisingly subtle interference of the Elliott and Yafet processes affecting the spin relaxation over a wide temperature range, suppressing the significance of the intravalley spin-flip scattering, previously considered dominant, above roughly 120 K. The calculated spin relaxation times T1 agree with the spin resonance and spin injection data, following a T(-3) temperature dependence. The valley anisotropy of T1 and the spin relaxation rates for hot electrons are predicted.

Spin lifetime in silicon in the presence of parasitic electronic effects

A hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor device is used to determine a lower bound on the spin lifetime for conduction electrons in silicon. We use spin precession to self-consistently measure the drift velocity versus drift field of spin-polarized electrons, and use this electronic control to change the transit time between electron injection and detection. A measurement of normalized magnetocurrent as a function of drift velocity is used with a simple exponential-decay model to argue that the value obtained (≈2 ns) is artificially lowered by electronic effects and could potentially be orders of magnitude higher.

Scattering of g-process longitudinal optical phonons at hotspots in silicon

Transistors with gate lengths below 100 nm generate phonon hotspots with dimensions on the order of 10 nm and peak power densities of about 50W∕μm3. This work employs molecular dynamics to investigate the impact of lattice energy density on phonon scattering at the hotspot. The hotspot studied in this work consists of longitudinal optical phonons involved in the g-type intervalley scattering of conduction electrons in silicon. A comparison of the decay modes in hotspots with high and moderate energy densities reveals that the decay mechanisms are the same but the relaxation rates differ. Scattering occurs through a three phonon process of the form LO→LA+TA, involving the zone-edge transverse acoustic modes. An increase in the energy density from a moderate value of 5 to 125W∕μm3 changes the relaxation time from 79 to 16 ps, approximately proportional to the the maximum initial amplitude of the phonons. This work improves the accuracy of the scattering rates of optical phonons and helps in advancing the electro-thermal modeling of nanotransistors.

Spin-lattice relaxation of conduction electrons in silicon

The width of the spin resonance of conduction electrons in n-type silicon, which is related to the spin-lattice relaxation time, has been measured at microwave frequencies, between helium and room temperature. There are two temperature regions of interest: (i) above about 50 °K scattering by lattice vibrations is the dominant relaxation mechanism, and the results are compared with existing theories due to Elliott and Yafet, and (ii) at lower temperatures the results are considered in the light of existing theories of scattering from ionized donor impurities.

93. Impurity spin relaxation via the conduction electrons in silicon

93. Impurity spin relaxation via the conduction electrons in silicon