Scanning of a laser beam and purification of materials through the use of light-induced particle drift in semiconductors

Abstract

The light-induced drift of electrons, light-absorbing impurities, and defects in II-VI semiconductors is investigated experimentally, along with some potential practical applications of the phenomenon. It is shown that the light-induced drift of electrons induces a very pronounced change in the refractive index, |Δn|∼0.01, and can be used to implement effective scanning of nanosecond and picosecond laser pulses through frustration of total internal reflection. The light-induced drift of absorbing particles increases their density in the surface layer of the crystals, and this effect can be exploited in semiconductor technology.