The theoretical foundations of the time domain measurement of spin-dependent charge carrier recombination by means of pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) are outlined. Pulsed EDMR is based on the transient measurement of electrical currents in semiconductors after a coherent manipulation of paramagnetic centers with pulsed electron spin resonance (ESR). A model of spin-dependent recombination is introduced combining features of previous models into one general picture that takes influences by spin-relaxation, singlet and triplet recombination as well as spin-spin interactions within recombining charge carrier pairs into account. Based thereon, predictions for excess charge carrier currents after short coherent pulse ESR excitations are made which show that spin coherence in semiconductors can be observed by means of current measurements and hence, microscopic, quantitative information about charge carrier recombination dynamics by means of pulsed EDMR is attainable.

• Received 15 July 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.245105