Luminescence from HgCdTe alloys

Abstract
We report the observation in Hg1−xCdxTe of band-to-band, band-to-acceptor, and donor-acceptor luminescence for material of x = 0.32 and 0.48, and bound exciton recombination luminescence, for material of 0.48. The band-to-band line shape and variation in intensity with pump power is appropriate to an electron-hole plasma with recombination proceeding without wave vector conservation. From line shape separations, we estimate acceptor binding energies of 14.0±1.0 and 15.5±2.0 meV in x = 0.32 and 0.48 material, respectively, and donor binding energies of 1.0±1.0 and 4.5±2.0 meV, respectively. Shifts in luminescence energy across the sample imply a change in composition across the sample of 0.03 cm−1.