Low-Temperature Anti-Stokes Luminescence in Zn1-xMgxSe Mixed Crystals

Investigations of photoluminescence and Raman scattering in the ternary Zn_1-xMg_xSe compounds at 4.2 K were performed both in the Stokes and anti-Stokes regions using cw laser excitation with various wavelengths within the transparency band of the crystals. The anti-Stokes luminescence was observed for the first time in the ternary Zn_1-xMg_xSe compounds. We have found variations in the shape and position of the Stokes and anti-Stokes luminescence bands with an increase in the band gap energy, which depends on magnesium content. We assume that the anti-Stokes emission is generated by two-step excitation via deep-level centers. It is shown that the low-temperature anti-Stokes photoluminescence can probe the spatial distribution profiles of impurities in the bulk of crystals.