Pulsed optically detected NMR of single GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells.

While nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most important experimental tools for the analysis of bulk materials, the low sensitivity of conventional NMR makes it unsuitable for the investigation of small structures. We introduce an experimental scheme that makes NMR spectra of single, nanometer-sized quantum wells possible with excellent sensitivity and selectivity while avoiding the spectral broadening associated with some alternative techniques. The scheme combines optical pumping and pulsed radiofrequency excitation of the nuclei with time-resolved detection of the free induction decay through the polarization of the photoluminescence.