Structural and optical properties of CdTe/MnTe tilted superlattices grown on vicinal surfaces

We have grown CdTe/MnTe tilted superlattices by atomic layer epitaxy. These heterostructures are formed by depositing, in the step-flow growth mode, fractional monolayer superlattices (CdTe)(m)(MnTe)(n), with p = m + n approximate to 1, onto 2 degrees A and 2 degrees B Cd0.95Zn0.05Te vicinal substrates. Transmission electron microscopy images reveal that we obtain a uniform short-range superlattice period and an in-plane modulation which is approximately 0.1 of that expected for perfect lateral atomic ordering. This reduced lateral modulation is evidenced by polarization anisotropy in optical experiments. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.