Dynamical magnetic and nuclear polarization in complex spin systems: semi-magnetic II–VI quantum dots

Abstract

Dynamical magnetic and nuclear polarization in complex spin systems is discussed on the example of transfer of spin from exciton to the central spin of magnetic impurity in a quantum dot in the presence of a finite number of nuclear spins. The exciton is described in terms of electron and heavy-hole spins interacting via exchange interaction with magnetic impurity, via hyperfine interaction with a finite number of nuclear spins and via dipole interaction with photons. The time evolution of the exciton, magnetic impurity and nuclear spins is calculated exactly between quantum jumps corresponding to exciton radiative recombination. The collapse of the wavefunction and the refilling of the quantum dot with a new spin-polarized exciton is shown to lead to the build up of magnetization of the magnetic impurity as well as nuclear spin polarization. The competition between electron spin transfer to magnetic impurity and to nuclear spins simultaneous with the creation of dark excitons is elucidated. The technique presented here opens up the possibility of studying optically induced dynamical magnetic and nuclear polarization in complex spin systems.