Lattice parameter and optical-energy gap values for Cd x Zn y Mn z Te alloys

Summary Polycrystalline samples of Cd _x Zn _y Mn _z Te alloys (x+y+z=1) were produced by a melt and anneal technique, by annealing at 800°C for 2 weeks giving good equilibrium conditions. Debye-Scherrer X-ray powder photographs were used to determine values of the lattice parametera and the range of solid solution in the zincblende phase. The range of solid solution determined is in good agreement with the previous values for the pseudobinary systems Cd_1−x Mn _z Te and Zn_1−z Mn _z Te. Room temperature measurements of optical absorption and modulated reflectance were made to give values of the energy gapE ₀ as functions of composition. The variation of the parametersa andE ₀ with composition is fitted to a suitable empirical equation, the accuracy of fitting was better than the average experimental scatter. From the fitted parameters, contours of constanta and of constantE ₀ were drawn. Paper presented at the ?V International Conference on Ternary and Multinary Compounds?, held in Cagliari, September 14–16, 1982.