Zeeman type magneto-optic studies of energy band structure

Abstract The energy levels associated with an energy band in a magnetic field are characterized by the following quantum numbers: h k H , the crystal momentum along the magnetic field direction; l , the Landau magnetic quantum number; and M J the component of the total angular momentum along the magnetic field which is characteristic of the atomic states in the tight binding limit. In the case of degenerate valence bands, the effect of a magnetic field is complicated by degeneracy effects and the levels in a magnetic field are characterized by two or more pairs of ( l , M J ) values. The selection rules, polarization effects, and the character of the absorption spectra of interband transitions in a magnetic field are discussed and illustrated by experimental data for Ge. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the physics underlying the Zeeman type interband magneto-optic (IMO) effects in semiconductors. The effect of a magnetic field on the electronic energy levels of a semiconductor will be presented and the various optical transitions that can take place between these levels will be discussed. Finally, data on the room temperature IMO effect in Ge will be reported and compared with the theoretical calculations.