Pressure dependence of the refractive index in wurtzite and rocksalt indium nitride

Abstract

We have performed high-pressure Fourier transform infrared reflectance measurements on a freestanding InN thin film to determine the refractive index of wurtzite InN and its high-pressure rocksalt phase as a function of hydrostatic pressure. From a fit to the experimental refractive-index curves including the effect of the high-energy optical gaps, phonons, free carriers, and the direct (fundamental) band-gap in the case of wurtzite InN, we obtain pressure coefficients for the low-frequency (electronic) dielectric constant ε∞. Negative pressure coefficients of −8.8 × 10−2 GPa−1 and −14.8 × 10−2 GPa−1 are obtained for the wurtzite and rocksalt phases, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of the electronic band structure and the compressibility of both phases.