Tunable photonic strength in porous GaP

The light-scattering properties of porous gallium phosphide, prepared by electrochemical etching, are investigated. We show that the photonic strength of the porous semiconductor can be tuned from weak to extremely strong. This tunability is related to the density and size of the pores, which are controlled by the dopant density of the GaP crystals, and the etching potential. Moreover, electrochemical etching does not introduce any significant optical absorption, which makes porous GaP suitable for many photonic applications. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.