Band structure parameters of Zn_1-xCd_xSe investigated by spin-flip Raman spectroscopy

Spin-flip Raman scattering spectroscopy has been applied to the study of the wide band-gap semiconductor material Zn_1-xCd_xSe in order to determine for the first time the dependence on the composition, x, of the gyromagnetic ratio of electrons in the Γ₆ conduction band. The experimental values for the Zn_1-xCd_xSe, Zn_1-xMg_xSe and ZnS_xSe_1-x alloy systems are discussed in terms of the k · p perturbation theory for the band structure near the direct 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 together with the addition of a third-order perturbation term. Simple interpolation schemes have been used to estimate the band structures between the binary end-members of each alloy, taking into account the bowing of the fundamental band gap and making reasonable assumptions about the behaviour of the spin-orbit coupling parameter.