Band structure parameters of Zn1-xCdxSe investigated by spin-flip Raman spectroscopy

Spin-flip Raman scattering spectroscopy has been applied to the study of th e wide band-gap semiconductor material Zn1-xCdxSe in order to determine for the first time the dependence on the composition, x, of the gyromagnetic r atio of electrons in the Gamma(6) conduction band. The experimental values for the Zn1-xCdxSe, Zn1-xMgxSe and ZnSxSe1-x alloy systems are discussed in terms of the k.p perturbation theory for the band structure near the direc t band gap and it is found that the observed dependence on composition can be reproduced well only when the five-band level of approximation is used t ogether with the addition of a third-order perturbation term. Simple interp olation schemes have been used to estimate the band structures between the binary end-members of each alloy, taking into account the bowing of the fun damental band gay and making reasonable assumptions about the behaviour of the spin-orbit coupling parameter. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.