A new resonance phenomenon has been observed in the spin polarization of optically oriented photoelectrons emitted from strained semiconductor photocathodes. The strained photocathode is part of an all-integrated Fabry-Pérot optical cavity. The resonance of the electron spin polarization have the same period on the wavelength scale as the oscillations of the optical reflectivity. They find a natural explanation in terms of a small anisotropy of the in-plane lattice strain which has been verified directly by high-resolution x-ray rocking curve diffraction.

• Received 7 November 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.2106