Transmission spectra of thin CdS and CdSe crystals near higher-order isotropic points

Abstract

For photon energies below the absorption edge in CdS, CdSe and other II–VI crystals the polariton dispersion curves forE⊥c andE‖c (c-axis in a wurtzite crystal) corss at some points called isotropic points (IP). The occurrence of isotropic points provides the possibility of mode coupling between ordinary and extraordinary waves. Since the consequences of mode coupling on the optical properties for photon energies near the lowest IP lying much below the first excitonic state were widely discussed in recent years, more attention is now paid to isotropic points lying near the band gap and related to then=2,3, … excitonic states («higher isotropic points»). Making use of Stahl's real density matrix approach we derive the polariton dispersion relationsk⊥ (ω), andk‖ (ω), for CdS and CdSe bulk crystals and determine the positions of IP's due to the crossing of theB-polariton with higherA-excitonic resonances. By the method of multiple internal reflection we calculate the transmission spectra for various crystal thicknesses (between 3 μm and 0.5 mm) and coupling mechanisms. The calculated transmission shows sharply peaked structures centred at the isotropic points.