Charge carrier spatial distribution effects in photomodulated reflectivity of 4H-SiC and GaN

Abstract

Photoinjecting free carriers into polar semiconductors can drastically modify the infrared (IR) optical properties of the material via coupling of the longitudinal optical phonon to the free-carrier plasma. We report a detailed description of how the IR response depends on the distribution of free carriers, which, in turn, depends on the penetration depth of the excitation. The three-dimensional spatial overlap of this distribution with a probe pulse dictates the IR response. We measure transient infrared reflectivity in the reststrahlen band region of 4H-SiC and GaN using multiple excitation wavelengths in order to show the effect of carrier spatial distributions. The sensitivity of the IR response to the carrier distribution can potentially offer an avenue for tuning that response in devices.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 09, 2020
Source ID
10.1063/5.0017579

Entities

People

  • Adam D. Dunkelberger
  • Daniel C Ratchford
  • Elizabeth S. Ryland
  • Jeff Owrutsky
  • Roderick B. Davidson Ii
  • Vanessa M. Breslin

Organizations

  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Semiconductor Device Technology
  • Spectroscopy.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics