Electron spin relaxation in a semiconductor quantum well

A fully microscopic theory of electron spin relaxation by the D’yakonov-Perel’ type spin-orbit coupling is developed for a semiconductor quantum well in an ambient magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane of the well. We derive Bloch equations for an electron spin in the well and determine explicit microscopic expressions for the spin relaxation times. The dependencies of the electron spin relaxation rates on magnetic field strength, temperature, and the lowest subband energy of the quantum well are analyzed.