Optically-induced nuclear spin polarization in a fluorine-doped ZnSe epilayer
is studied by time-resolved Kerr rotation using resonant excitation of
donor-bound excitons. Excitation with helicity-modulated laser pulses results
in a transverse nuclear spin polarization, which is detected as a change of the
Larmor precession frequency of the donor-bound electron spins. The frequency
shift in dependence on the transverse magnetic field exhibits a pronounced
dispersion-like shape with resonances at the fields of nuclear magnetic
resonance of the constituent zinc and selenium isotopes. It is studied as a
function of external parameters, particularly of constant and radio frequency
external magnetic fields. The width of the resonance and its shape indicate a
strong spatial inhomogeneity of the nuclear spin polarization in the vicinity
of a fluorine donor. A mechanism of optically-induced nuclear spin polarization
is suggested based on the concept of resonant nuclear spin cooling driven by
the inhomogeneous Knight field of the donor-bound electron.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure