Photoluminescence of ZnBeMnSe solid solutions

Abstract

In this paper optical properties of Zn1-x-yBexMnySe mixed semiconductors were studied as a function of both, temperature and excitation power. The crystals under investigation were grown by the high-pressure, high-temperature vertical Bridgman technique within the range of the composition 0.05 ≤ x,y ≤ 0.2. Photoluminescence spectra for the lowest content of Mn and Be exhibit character typical for II-VI semiconductors together with intensive yellow-orange manganese emission. Evolution of the excitonic emission as the function of temperature allowed determining the energy gap of the investigated semiconductors. Absorbance and photoluminescence excitation spectra confirmed crystal field splitting of excited atomic terms of manganese ions into the states, denoted according to the crystal field theory in the case of tetrahedral symmetry. Temperature and laser power dependences of luminescence showed anomalous behavior of the manganese emission. It turned out that the position of the Mn2+ related luminescence band does not change monotonically with the variation of the temperature or the excitation power. Finally, switching of the manganese emission has been observed. By increasing laser power of exciting radiation, the Mn-related emission could be quenched by almost two orders in magnitude. This effect was especially strong at low temperature and it was fully reversible.