Electroluminescence of p-GaSe⟨REE⟩ Single Crystals

We have studied the electroluminescence (EL) properties of p-GaSe < REE > single crystals doped with N 0.1 at % gadolinium or dysprosium and exhibiting a switching effect (SE). The results demonstrate that, at such values of N, EL and SE parameters and characteristics are independent of the chemical nature of the rare-earth dopant (gadolinium or dysprosium). Rare-earth doping levels in the range N approximate to 10(-2) to 10(-1) at % ensure high stability and reproducibility of the EL and SE parameters. We have examined the feasibility of using p-GaSe < REE > single crystals for the fabrication of high-performance light switches and sources with S-shaped current-voltage characteristics.