Polarization dependence of the resonant Raman scattering from electrons ina spin-split subband of a III-V semiconductor quantum well

We have shown that the resonance Raman spectrum of electron spin-flip excit ations in a lowest spin-split conduction subband in a semiconductor quantum well depends on the directions of circular polarization of the incident an d the scattered lights. In the case of resonance with a heavy-hole subband, this dependence can be detected only if this heavy-hole subband hybridizes with light-hole subbands. However, for resonance with a light-hole subband , the result is not so sensitive to the mixing of heavy- and light-hole sub bands. We also found that under extreme resonant conditions, the amplitude of scattered light from charge-density excitations mixes with that from spi n-density excitations because of the spin-orbit coupling associated to the spin splitting of conduction subbands. [S0163-1829(99)02140-2].