Magneto-optical determination of the HgTe-CdTe superlattice band structure

Abstract

We report magnetoabsorption investigations in an n-type semiconducting HgTe-CdTe superlattice grown by molecular-beam epitaxy along the [111] axis. Electron cyclotron resonance and interband magneto-optical transitions are observed. The superlattice band structure is calculated with use of the envelope-function formalism along the [111] axis and in the (111) plane as well as the Landau levels when a magnetic field is applied perpendicularly to the superlattice. The interpretation of the experimental data is consistent with a small positive offset between the HgTe and CdTe valence bands.