Origin of the forbidden transitions in diluted magnetic semiconductors

Abstract Mechanisms for the intraionic optical transitions in Mn-based diluted magnetic semiconductors are analyzed on the basis of two possible models. A simple model for these transitions based on a proposal by Lacueva and Overhauser does not seem to be tenable. We conclude that the transition 6 S → 4 G observed in Cd 1− x Mn x Te and Zn 1− x Mn x Te is due to electric-dipole interactions made possible by the lack of inversion symmetry and the presence of the spin-orbit interaction.