Excitonic properties related to valence band levels split by spin-orbit interaction in layered oxychalcogenide LaCuOCh(Ch = S,Se)

The energy splitting of valence band in oxychalcogenides LaCuOCh (Ch = S, Se) was studied through degenerative four-wave mixing (DFWM) signals excited by femtosecond laser pulses and high-resolution absorption spectra at 4 K. The DFWM signals for LaCuOS exhibited a beat structure with a period of 480 fs just at the exciton peak energy, indicating that the lowest exciton states were split by 9 meV, while the corresponding splitting in LaCuOSe was 125 meV. The spin-orbit interaction of Ch ion accompanied by the hybridization of Cu 3d orbital causes the splitting of the exciton levels. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.