Magneto-optical far-infrared absorption spectroscopy of the hole states of indium phosphide

Abstract

Far-infrared absorption spectroscopy in magnetic fields of up to 30 T of the zinc acceptor impurity in indium phosphide has revealed for the first time a series of free-hole transitions (Landau-related series) in addition to the familiar bound-hole transitions (Lyman series) as well as hitherto unobserved phonon replicas of both series. Analysis of these data permits the simultaneous direct experimental determination of (i) the hole effective mass, (ii) the species-specific binding energy of the acceptor impurity, (iii) the absolute energy levels of the acceptor excited states of both odd and even parity, (iv) more reliable, and in some cases the only, $g$ factors for acceptor states, through relaxation of the selection rules for phonon replicas, and (v) the LO phonon energy. The method is applicable to other semiconductors and may lead to the reappraisal of their physical parameters.