Optical phonon frequencies and damping in AlAs, GaP, GaAs, InP, InAs and InSb studied by oblique incidence infrared spectroscopy

The transverse (TO) and longitudinal (LO) optical phonons in AlAs, GaP, GaAs, InP, InAs and InSb have been measured at room temperature by infrared spectroscopy using an oblique incidence reflectance method. The spectra obtained were then fitted using a novel approach to determine the TO and LO phonon frequencies and damping. The results obtained are found to be more precise than in earlier reflectivity measurements using near-normal angles of incidence and provide information on the damping of both phonons. Apart from the GaAs LO mode, the observed damping parameters are found to be quite different from those predicted by theory. From these results the Lowndes condition governing the relative magnitudes of the TO and LO phonon line widths is found to be violated for all these zincblende semiconductors. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.