Low-temperature dependence of midinfrared optical constants of lead–germanium–telluride thin film

Abstract

The design and manufacture of diode lasers for gas analysis or multilayer thin-film optical devices used at low-temperature require the refractive index and the temperature coefficient of IV–VI compound over a significant temperature range. In this article, the refractive index and the absorption coefficient of Pb0.94Ge0.06Te thin film have been determined from transmission spectra measured at temperature between 80 and 300 K in the spectral range of 2.5–8.5 μm by fitting based on a Lorentz-oscillator model. It is found that the maximum refractive index occurs at 150 K, which corresponds to the structural phase transition from rocksalt to rhombohedrally distorted structure and reflects an increase of lattice polarizability. The value of the index of refraction is 5.350–6.000 in the spectral range of 4.0–8.5 μm for all measured temperatures, which reveals that Pb1−xGexTe is a highly refractive infrared material. The temperature coefficient of refractive index, dn/dT, is found to be −0.006–0.002 K−1 in the spectral range of 3.0–8.5 μm for all measured temperature. An empirical formula that fits the temperature coefficient in the spectral range of 4.0-8.5 μm is presented. The dependence of the transmission and absorption spectra on decreasing temperature can be explained by the modification of the energy-band structure due to rhombohedral distortions. The conclusion can be drawn that anomalies corresponding to the ferroelectric phase transition occur in both refractive index and absorption coefficient of Pb1−xGexTe alloy.