Drift of electrons and atoms in the laser radiation field and its influence on the optical properties of semiconductors

We experimentally study the influence of the laser-induced drift (LID) of dopant electrons and atoms on the optical properties of semiconductors. It is shown that the LID of electrons results in a dramatic change in the refractive index in the region of laser-radiation output from semiconductor crystals, impairement of the total internal reflection in semiconductors, and the occurrence of astigmatism during self-defocusing of the laser radiation in anisotropic semiconductors. This effect influences the breaking of semiconductors by nanosecond and picosecond laser pulses. The LID of dopant atoms, caused by the electrostatic interaction between the ions of these atoms and the space charge of drifting electrons, changes differently the luminescence spectra on the input and output surfaces of crystals and also results in the appearance of a dark spot on the output surface of some ZnSe crystals after irradiation by a continuous-wave CO2 laser. © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.