title: Charge and spin dynamics in a two-dimensional electron gas.
abstract: A number of time-resolved optical experiments probing and controlling the spin and charge dynamics of the high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction are discussed. These include time-resolved reflectivity, luminescence, transient grating, magneto-optical Kerr effect, and electro-optical Kerr effect experiments. The optical experiments provide information on the carrier lifetimes and spin dephasing times, as well as on the carrier diffusion coefficient which directly gives the charge mobility. A combination of the two types of Kerr experiment proves to be useful in extracting both the carrier lifetimes and spin dephasing times in a single experiment.
authors.affiliation: Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pugžlys
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rizo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ivanin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slachter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Wieck
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: van der Wal
authors.forename: P H M
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: van Loosdrecht