Spin lifetimes in III-V heterostructures originating from zincblende symmetry

Summary form only given. We have calculated the spin lifetimes for GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/InP quantum wells using a fourteen bulk band basis which accounts for the zincblende symmetry of the heterostructure constituents. The spin lifetimes agree with recent experiments within a factor of two, indicating the importance of accurate band structure calculations for zincblende type heterostructures.