Phenomenological modeling of electron-hole recombination in promising photo-catalytic magnetic materials

Recent experiments have demonstrated impressive photo-catalytic performances in spin-polarized materials. The existence of spin-dependent recombination between spin split bands has been suggested as the cause for at least part of the improved photo-catalysis. To test the efficacy of this mechanism, we develop a set of rate equations for carrier charge and spin to shed light on recent experiments with metal-defected or doped oxides, magnetically decorated metal-organic frameworks, and magnetically-doped perovskites. Our results show that recombination will be dependent on the band spin polarization and the lengthening of decay times can be optimized by engineering the electronic structure.