Temperature evolution of the 2.1 eV band in the Zn1−xMnxSe system for low concentration

Abstract The 4 T 1 (G)→ 6 A 1 (S) internal Mn 2+ transition in the Zn 1− x Mn x Se single-crystal system is studied in the temperature range between 26 and 300 K, for six samples prepared by chemical transport with Mn concentrations between 0.0008⩽ x ⩽0.038. The energy position of this band has an anomalous behavior for temperatures below 150 K which can be understood in terms of antiferromagnetic d–d interactions of the Mn 2+ ion. This behavior is observed for the first time for samples with concentrations below x =0.5. The observed broadening of this band as a function of temperature indicates the existence of strong electron–phonon coupling.