Comparison of excitation spectra of 1.2‐ and 2.0‐eV photoluminescence bands in Cd1−xMnx Te for 0.4<x≲0.7

The excitation spectra of the 1.2‐ and 2.0‐eV emissions in Cd1−xMnx Te were measured using a dye laser, and various lines from an Argon ion laser. Both emissions have their excitation thresholds near the Mn2+ 6A1(6S)→4T1(4G) absorption edge. For x∼0.7, the excitation spectra at higher energies are similar for both emissions and are related to the Mn2+ 6A1(6S)→4T2(4G) transition. For all x in this range, there is a drop of intensity above the Mn2+ absorption edge, ascribed here to competitive intrinsic absorption, which does not lead to Mn2+ emission. Details of these behaviors are reproduced by a model which assumes separate Urbach tails for the Mn2+ and intrinsic absorptions.