Propagation of acoustic phonons across the interfaces in CdTe and Si/CVD-diamond and quasi-two-dimensional phonon wind in CdTe/ZnTe quantum wells

Abstract

Using a heat-pulse technique we investigated propagation of acoustic phonons in twinned CdTe, ZnTe crystals, in the vicinity of CdTe/ZnTe quantum well, and Si/CVD-diamond structures. Phonon mean free paths in CdTe were estimated. We studied the effect of phonon wind on the luminescence of narrow CdTe quantum well and observed an increase in the total luminescence intensity and the change of the luminescence band shape. We believe that this effect is due to a quasi-two-dimensional lateral propagation of subsurface and interface acoustic phonons in the ZnTe/CdTe structure. Preliminary data obtained on the Si/CVD-diamond interfaces suggest they are strongly damaged. To reduce the thermal boundary resistance of the interface between the material studied and the thin-film phonon detector we developed a buried bolometer based on a graphitized layer produced by ion implantation in diamond.