Sharp Absorption Edges and Shallow Density of States Tails for Amorphous Germanium

Abstract

An interpretation attributing both sharp and shallow optical absorption edges in amorphous Ge to density of states spectra having shallow overlapping tails is discussed. It is suggested that sharp absorption edges near 0.5 to 0.6 eV are related to the occupation function at the Fermi level for a large density of mid‐gap states rather than to a sharp density of states edge.