BIREFRINGENCE AND OPTICAL-ACTIVITY OF CADMIUM DIARSENIDE SINGLE-CRYSTALS

Optical-quality bulk single crystals of CdAs2 were grown using the ver tical Bridgman technique. Measurement of dispersion of the refractive indices, performed over the 1.2 to 25-mu m range of wavelengths, show that they are optically positive and have a great birefringence value, Delta n similar to 0.31. Study of optical constant dispersion (rho) a t lambda = 1.1 to 2.7 mu m demonstrates that CdAs2 single crystals bel ong to gyrotropic semiconductors with a right-hand rotation of the pol arization plane; the rho values reach 180 deg/mm at 1.1 mu m.