  The degree and orientation of the magnetic-field induced linear polarization
of the photoluminescence from a wide range of heterostructures containing
(Cd,Mn)Te quantum wells between (Cd,Mn,Mg)Te barriers has been studied as a
function of detection photon energy, applied magnetic field strength and
orientation in the quantum well plane. A theoretical description of this effect
in terms of an in-plane deformation acting on the valence band states is
presented and is verified by comparison with the experimental data. We
attempted to identify clues to the microscopic origin of the valence band spin
anisotropy and to the mechanisms which actually determine the linear
polarization of the PL in the quantum wells subject to the in-plane magnetic
field. The conclusions of the present paper apply in full measure to
non-magnetic QWs as well as ensembles of disk-like QDs with shape and/or strain
anisotropy.
