Abstract
A general expression for the Faraday rotation, θ, in a semiconductor is derived and applied to the case of free carriers. At low magnetic field strengths and low frequencies, θ is determined by the d.c. conductivity σ 0 and the Hall coefficient R 0 and is proportional to σ 0 3 2 R 0 . At high frequencies θ depends on the electron distribution and on the shape of the energy surfaces but is independent of the relaxation mechanism. Explicit expressions are given for particular cases, and it is shown how measurements of θ at high frequencies will lead to information about energy surfaces. At low temperatures and high magnetic field strengths, resonances should appear in the rotation at the cyclotron-resonance frequencies.
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