Polarized transmission intensity studies at and below energy gap of wide-gap single crystalline CaGa2S4

Polarized transmission intensity studies have been performed on wide-gap single crystalline CaGa₂S₄ at room temperature. The effective value of the partial birefringence in (100) plane is determined to be comparatively large varying from 0.14 to 0.50 with increasing photon energy from 1.9 to 3.5 eV. Four structures, which were preliminary ascribed to the critical points of interband optical transitions are displayed by ellipsometric examination with the aid of a spectroscopic phase-modulated ellipsometer in the spectral range 1.5–6.3 eV. These points, together with band gap singularity, are believed to largely contribute into the optical properties below the energy gap of biaxial CaGa₂S₄. The pseudo values of two major components of dielectric function tensor of CaGa₂S₄ are given for the first time.     

Energy band gap and oscillator parameters of Ga4Se3S single crystals

The optical properties of the Bridgman method grown Ga₄Se₃S crystals have been investigated by means of room temperature, transmittance and reflectance spectral analysis. The optical data have revealed an indirect allowed transition band gap of 2.08 eV. The room temperature refractive index, which was calculated from the reflectance and transmittance data, allowed the identification of the dispersion and oscillator energies, static dielectric constant and static refractive index as 21.08 and 3.85 eV, 6.48 and 2.55, respectively.     

Optical constants of layered structured Ga0.75In0.25Se crystals from the ellipsometric measurements

We have carried out the spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements on Ga_0.75In_0.25Se single crystals in the 1.2–6.0 eV spectral range at room temperature. The optical constants, real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function, refractive index and extinction coefficient, were found as a result of analysis of ellipsometric data. The critical point analysis of the second derivative spectra of the dielectric function revealed four interband transition structures with critical point energy values of 3.19, 3.53, 4.10 and 4.98 eV. The results of the analysis were compared with those of the ellipsometric studies performed on GaSe which is the main constituent of the Ga_0.75In_0.25Se crystal. The obtained critical point energies are in good agreement with the energies of the GaSe crystal reported in the literature.     

Optoelectronic properties of Cu1−xPtxFeO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) delafossite for p-type transparent conducting oxide

The samples of Cu_1−xPt_xFeO₂ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) delafossite have been synthesized by solid-state reaction method to investigate their optical and electrical properties. The properties of electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient were measured in the high temperature ranging from 300 to 960 K, and the Hall effect and the optical properties were measured at room temperature. The obtained results of Seebeck showed the samples are p-type conductor. The optical properties at room temperature exhibited the samples are transparent visible light material with optical direct gap 3.45 eV. The low electrical resistivity, hole mobility and carrier density at room temperature displayed value ranging from 0.29 to 0.08 Ω cm, 1.8 to 8.6 cm²/V s and 1.56 × 10¹⁸ to 4.04 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³, respectively. The temperature range for transparent visible light is below 820 K because the direct energy gap contains value above 3.1 eV. Consequently, the Cu_1−xPt_xFeO₂ delafossite enhance performance for materials of p-type transparent conducting oxide (TCO) with low electrical resistivity.     

Determination of the dielectric function of MnIn2S4 single crystals by spectroscopic ellipsometry

The dielectric function of MnIn₂S₄ single crystals grown by the directional crystallization method was measured over the energy range 0.7–4.7 eV at room temperature using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The spectral dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric function as well as of the refractive index, extinction and absorption coefficients and the normal-incidence reflectivity for MnIn₂S₄ in the photon energy range studied was determined.     

Optical properties of the red bronze K0.33MoO3

The optical reflectivity of the red bronze K_0.33MoO₃ has been measured on single crystals in the spectral energy range between 0.03 and 12 eV at temperatures from 4 K to 300 K using polarized light. The optical constants have been determined by means of a Kramers-Kronig analysis; the data are interpreted that this compound is a 0.5 eV energy gap semiconductor with very strong anisotropy in the infrared and visible energy range.     

Anisotropy of permittivity of the hexagonal multiferroic HoMnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> in the spectral range 0.6–5.0 eV

The anisotropy of the optical properties of a single crystal of the hexagonal manganite HoMnO₃ has been investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the spectral range 0.6–5.0 eV. It has been demonstrated that the optical absorption edge for the polarization E ⊥ c is determined by the intense narrow transition O(2p) → Mn(3d) centered at 1.5 eV, whereas this transition for the polarization E ‖ c is strongly suppressed and shifted toward higher energies by 0.2 eV. It has been revealed that, at the temperature T = 293 K, the spectra for both polarizations E ‖ c and E ⊥ c exhibit a broad absorption band centered at ∼2.4 eV, which was earlier observed in nonlinear spectra during optical second harmonic generation.     

Influence of annealing temperature on optical properties of zinc oxide thin films analyzed by spectroscopic ellipsometry method

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were sol–gel spin coated on glass substrates, annealed at various temperatures 300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C and characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry method. The optical properties of the films such as transmittance, refractive index, extinction coefficient, dielectric constant and optical band gap energy were determined from ellipsometric data recorded over the spectral range of 300–800 nm. The effect of annealing temperature in air on optical properties of the sol–gel derived ZnO thin films was studied. The transmission values of the annealed films were about 65% within the visible range. The optical band gap of the ZnO thin films were measured between 3.25 eV and 3.45 eV. Also the dispersion parameters such as single oscillator energy and dispersive energy were determined from the transmittance graph using the Wemple and DiDomenico model.     

Aperiodic multilayer mirrors for efficient broadband reflection in the extreme ultraviolet

Recent extreme ultraviolet sources using high-harmonic generation in a rare gas make new optics developments necessary. We report on the study and development of multilayer structures with efficient reflectivity in the 35–75 eV energy range. We have optimized, deposited and characterized two aperiodic broadband mirrors consisting of a Mo, Si and B₄C thin-film stack. We used the needle procedure in order to optimize mirror reflectivity. The magnetron sputter deposited multilayers have been calibrated and characterized using Cu K _α grazing incidence X-ray reflectometry. Reflectivity measured at near-normal incidence on a synchrotron radiation source reaches 12% with a full width at half maximum of nearly 40 eV. Experimental results are compared with theoretical simulation using available optical constants for Mo, Si and B₄C in this spectral range.     

Manifestation of multiband optical properties of MgB2

The optical conductivity of MgB₂ has been determined on a dense polycrystalline sample in the spectral range 6 meV–4.6 eV using a combination of ellipsometric and normal incidence reflectivity measurements. σ₁(ω) features a narrow Drude peak with anomalously small plasma frequency (1.4 eV) and a very broad ‘dome’ structure, which comprises the bulk of the low-energy spectral weight. This fact can be reconciled with the results of band structure calculations by assuming that charge carriers from the 2D σ-bands and the 3D π-bands have principally different impurity scattering rates and negligible interband scattering. This also explains a surprisingly small correlation between the defect concentration and T_c, expected for a two-gap superconductor. The large 3D carrier scattering rate suggests their proximity to the localization limit.     

Optical study of BST films combining ellipsometry and reflectivity

Optical properties of plasma laser-deposited Ba_0.75Sr_0.25TiO₃ (BST) thin films have been investigated using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and near-normal spectroscopic reflectivity (NNSR) within a broad spectral range at room temperature. The samples prepared under various deposition conditions and the Si substrate coated with the structure SiO₂/TiO_x/Pt were measured. The X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and alpha step measurement were used for characterization of the samples. A special attention was paid to study sample texture. Both sets of experimental data (VASE and NNSR) were fitted simultaneously to obtain the optical constants (e.g. complex refractive index) and thicknesses of the films. For modeling of the experimental data in the range of transparency the Cauchy and Urbach formulas were used. The direct fit procedure and the Cody-Lorentz model were applied around and below absorption edge. In the entire spectral range the reflectivity spectra were analyzed by Kramers-Kronig analysis. The data around the absorption edge were fitted using the single-wavelength method and the absorption edge features were found up about 3.5 eV. The platinum-coated Si substrate data were fitted as a semi-infinite medium using the Drude and Lorentz oscillators model. The structure model for optical characterization of the sample included not only the BST layers and substrate but also the intermix and surface roughness layers to achieve good agreement with experimental data. The substrate structure was modeled by a simple bulk with surface roughness.     

Optical and photoelectric properties of TlInS2 layered single crystals

Single crystals of the layered compound TlInS₂ were grown by direct synthesis of their constituents. The spectral and optical parameters have been determined using spectrophotometric measurements of transmittance and reflectance in the wavelength range 200–2500 nm. Absorption spectra of thin layers of TlInS₂ crystals are used to study the energy gap and the interband transitions of the compound in the energy region 2–2.4 eV. The dispersion curve of the refractive index shows an anomalous dispersion in the absorption region and a normal one in the transmitted region. The direct and indirect band gaps were determined to be 2.34 and 2.258 eV, respectively. Photoconductivity measurements at room temperature resolve the structure that can be identified with the optical transition.     

Conductivity relaxation in NiTiO3 at high temperatures

NiTiO₃ ceramics were prepared via the traditional solid-state reaction route. The dielectric properties of NiTiO₃ ceramics have been systematically investigated in the temperature range from room temperature to 1073 K NiTiO₃ ceramics exhibit intrinsic dielectric response in the temperature range below 400 K. Two relaxations were observed in the temperature range higher than 400 K. The relaxation activation energy is 0.95 eV and 1.17 eV for the low- and high-temperature relaxations, respectively. Our results strongly indicate that the two relaxations are related to conductivity relaxation associated with the singly and doubly ionized oxygen vacancies.     

Characterisation of laser-produced tungsten plasma using optical spectroscopy method

This paper describes results of spectroscopic investigation of laser-produced tungsten plasma. The laser intensity on the target surface reached up to 30 GW/cm² depending on the focusing conditions. Optical spectra emitted from plasma plumes which were formed under vacuum conditions in front of the tungsten target due to the interaction of Nd-YAG laser pulses (1.06 μm, 0.5 J), were characterised by means of an optical spectrometer (λ/Δλ= 900) in the wavelength range from 300 to 1100 nm. The spectra were recorded automatically with the use of a CCD detector with exposition time varied from 100 ns to 50 ms. On the basis of WI and WII lines it was possible to estimate electron temperature and electron density which corresponded to the expansion phase of the plasma. T_e and N_e were measured as 1.1 eV and 8×10¹⁶ cm^-3, respectively. The spectra collected by the ion energy analyser showed that the plasma included tungsten ions up to 6+ ion charge. Signals from the ion collector allowed to estimate the average value of ion energy of tungsten as 4.6 keV. Basing on this value the electron temperature corresponding to the initial stage of the plasma formation was estimated to be about 320 eV. Optical microscope investigation showed that laser irradiation caused structural changes on the surface of the target.     

Structural and optical properties of amorphous Sb2S3 thin films deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation method

Sb₂S₃ thin films have been deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation onto glass substrates at various substrate temperatures in the range of 30–240 °C. Crushed powder of the synthesized Sb₂S₃ was used as raw material for the vacuum thermal evaporation. The structural investigation performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the all as-deposited films present an amorphous structure and all the films were highly resistive. The reflectance and transmittance of the films are measured in the incident wavelength range 300–1800 nm. The absorption coefficient spectral analysis revealed the existence of long and wide band tails of the localized states in the low absorption region. The band tails width is calculated and found to be varying between 0.024 and 0.032 eV. The analysis of the absorption coefficient in the high absorption region revealed two direct forbidden band gaps between 1.78–1.98 eV and 1.86–2.08 eV.     

Annealing temperature dependent on structural,optical and electrical properties of indium oxide thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation method

In the present work the influence of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of the In₂O₃ films deposited by electron beam evaporation technique in the presence of oxygen was studied. The deposited films were annealed from 350 to 550 °C in air. The chemical compositions of In₂O₃ films were carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The film structure and surface morphologies were investigated as a function of annealing temperature by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The structural studies by XRD reveal that films exhibit preferential orientation along (2 2 2) plane. The refractive index (n), packing density and porosity (%) of films were arrived from transmittance spectral data obtained in the range 250–1000 nm by UV–vis-spectrometer. The optical band gap of In₂O₃ film was observed and found to be varying from 3.67 to 3.85 eV with the annealing temperature.     

Ellipsometric characterization of PbI2 thin film on glass

The optical properties of polycrystalline lead iodide thin film grown on Corning glass substrate have been investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. A structural model is proposed to account for the optical constants of the film and its thickness. The optical properties of the PbI₂ layer were modeled using a modified Cauchy dispersion formula. The optical band gap E_g has been calculated based on the absorption coefficient (α) data above the band edge and from the incident photon energy at the maximum index of refraction. The band gap was also measured directly from the plot of the first derivative of the experimental transmission data with respect to the light wavelength around the transition band edge. The band gap was found to be in the range of 2.385±0.010 eV which agrees with the reported experimental values. Urbach's energy tail was observed in the absorption trend below the band edge and was found to be related to Urbach's energy of 0.08 eV.     

Optical energy gaps of undoped and Co-doped ZnIn2Se4 single crystals

Single crystals of undoped and Co-doped ZnIn₂Se₄ were grown by the vertical Bridgman technique. The optical energy gaps of the single crystals were investigated in the temperature range of 10–300 K from the optical absorption measurements. The indirect optical energy gaps of the single crystals were found to be 1.624 eV for undoped ZnIn₂Se₄ and 1.277 eV for Co-doped one at 300 K. Also, the direct optical energy gaps were given by 1.774 and 1.413 eV for undoped ZnIn₂Se₄ and co-doped one, respectively. The temperature dependence of the optical energy gaps was well fitted by the Varshni equation.     

The optical absorption edge of brookite TiO2

The optical absorption edge of brookite TiO₂ was measured at room temperature, using natural crystals. The measurements extend up to 3.54 eV in photon energy and 2000 cm⁻¹ in absorption coefficient. The observed absorption edge is broad and extends throughout the visible, quite different from the steep edges of rutile and anatase. No evidence of a direct gap is seen in the range measured. The spectral dependence of the absorption strongly suggests that the brookite form of TiO₂ is an indirect-gap semiconductor with a bandgap of about 1.9 eV.     

Synthesis, electrical resistivity, thermo-electric power and magnetization of cubic ZnMnO3

Cubic ZnMnO₃ powder in the form of well-crystalline nanoflakes have been synthesized at low temperatures from a nitrate precursor. The electrical properties of cubic ZnMnO₃ samples have been established by DC resistivity (ρ) and thermo-electric power (Seebeck coefficient) measurements on a pressed pellet. The material exhibits insulator behavior with 0.7 eV acceptor ionization energy in the measured temperature range of 170-300 K. The thermo-electric power indicates a positive sign of the charge carriers. The obtained material exhibits a superparamagnetic signature with a blocking temperature of 9 K and the ZFC-FC splitting temperature of 15 K.