Physical Society Colloquium

Quantum Interference Control of Charge and Spin in Semiconductors

Henry van Driel

Department of Physics and Institute for Optical Sciences
University of Toronto

Optical phase is not often considered as a control parameter in semiconductor photonics. However, when two light beams with different wavelengths or polarizations couple valence and conduction band states, quantum interference of the absorption pathways permits generation and phase control of charge and spin currents. I will review some of our recent work on control of currents in GaAs and Si, including all-optical control of the spin Hall effect.