Magnetic-field-induced photocurrent in metal-dielectric-semiconductor heterostructures based on cobalt nanoparticles SiO2(Co)/GaAs

•Heterostructures SiO2(Co)/GaAs were studied in avalanche regime at room temperature.•Strong magnetic field influence on photocurrent was observed at the GaAs bandgap.•This effect is explained by spin-dependent recombination processes at interface region.

Magnetic-field influence on photocurrent in heterostructures of silicon dioxide films with cobalt nanoparticles SiO2(Co) grown on gallium arsenide GaAs substrate has been studied in the avalanche regime at room temperature. High values of magnetic-field-induced photocurrent were found in the vicinity and above the GaAs bandgap of ∼1.4 eV. For photon energies E>1.4eV the photocurrent significantly increases, while the avalanche process is suppressed by the magnetic field, and the current flowing through the heterostructure decreases. The photocurrent is enhanced in the SiO2(Co 60 at%)/GaAs heterostructure at the magnetic field H=1.65 kOe by factor of about 10 for the photon energy E=1.5 eV. This phenomenon is explained by a model based on electronic transitions in magnetic fields with the spin-dependent recombination process at deep impurity centers in the SiO2(Co)/GaAs interface region.