POLARIZATION PHENOMENA IN THE OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF POROUS SILICON

We examine the polarization memory effect for porous Si excited by lin early polarized light. The various observations for the red-luminescin g, slow band are discussed in the general framework of particle shape asymmetry. We show that because of the intrinsically nonlinear lumines cence response, measurement parameters influence the polarization resp onse. The preparation of porous Si with photoassisted etching is found to control the polarization retention parameter rho. Using linearly p olarized light during etching produces in-plane asymmetries. We find a substantial rho-anisotropy linked to crystal symmetry planes and axes as a consequence of anisotropic etching. The effects are discussed wi th reference to current models of the light emission mechanism.