NONLINEAR OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF II-VI SEMICONDUCTOR COMPOUNDS GROWN BY MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY (EXCITONS, ZINC-SELENIDE, CADMIUM-TELLURIDE)

DAVID ROGER ANDERSEN, Purdue University

Abstract

Recently, in the area of nonlinear optical processes, there has been a growing interest in the area of nonlinear optical phenomena in semiconductors. The demonstration of such behavior as optical bistability and self action effects in semiconductors have identified these as materials with potential for novel device applications such as optical transphasors (transistors), modulators, and switches. The growing need for computing speed suggests the application of optically nonlinear semiconductors to computers. An experimental demonstration of the nonlinear optical absorption and refraction characteristics of dilute magnetic semiconductor materials is given here. For the (Cd, Mn)Te system, a demonstration of self focussing due to thermal shifting of the band edge is discussed, and for the (Zn, Mn)Se system, a saturation of the excitonic absorption resonance is demonstrated. Of the two, perhaps the more significant is the excitonic absorption saturation in (Zn, Mn)Se. The wide gap (('(TURN))2.8 eV) nature of this material makes it ideal for applications in the blue region of the visible spectrum.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Electrical engineering

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