Optical Excitation

• Consider ionic crystals.

q q q q q
C C C C
m M m M m

a a a a

• Consider x-directed propagating transverse electric field.

• The electric field will force the atoms to oscillate at frequency 0.

 2u2 n
F2 n  m  Ct  u2 n 1  u2 n 1  2u2 n   qE0 e i0t
t 2

 2u2 n 1
F2 n 1  M  Ct  u2 n  2  u2 n  2u2 n 1   qE0 e  i0t
t 2
2

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 Solutions
• Replacing the solutions in the equations of motion

 2C  m  u
t
2
0 2n  Ct 1  e  i 2 ka  u2 n 1  qE0 e i0t
C 1  e  u
t
i 2 ka
2n   2C  M 02  u2 n 1  qE0 e i0t
• Assume k = 0, so that

e  i 2 ka  1
• Simplification:

 2C  m  u  2C u
t
2
0 2n t 2 n 1  qE0 e i0t
2C u   2C  M   u
t 2n
2
0 2 n 1  qE0 e i0t
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Solutions
qE0 / m  i0t
u2 n  e
02  2 (0)
qE0 / M  i0t
u2 n 1  e
02  2 (0)

• +(0) is the transverse optical mode frequency for k = 0

2Ct (m  M )
 (0) 
mM

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 Resonance
0   (0)

• Mathematically, the amplitude of oscillation becomes infinite at

resonance.

• Reradiation: Accelerated charges radiate electromagnetic energy

 strong reradiation of energy at the excitation frequency.

Reflections
• Electromagnetic signals with frequency near resonance exhibit
reflection from the crystal.
• Thi
This behavior
b h i can be
b explained
l i d from
f the
th change
h off the
th index
i d off
refraction
 Dielectric constant  Dipole moment
 Oscillation amplitude
 Refractive index is determined by the dielectric constant and
will experience a sharp change near resonance.
• Continuous spectrum infrared radiation can be converted into
monochromatic by multiple reflections  Forbidden band.

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 Reststrahlen Effect
• The radiation by the ionic substance is called Reststrahlen effect
 Observed only in crystals in which the atoms of the lattice
are ionized.
i i d
 Direct measure of the ionicity of the crystal.
 Stronger in NaCl than in GaAs.

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 Three-Dimensions
• A real crystal expands in all three dimensions  Lattice
vibrations become more complex.
  i kR t 
uR (t )  Ae
• Two types of vibrations:
• Acoustic
• Longitudinal
• Transverse
• Optical
• Longitudinal
• Transverse
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Class Test – 1
23 May 2012
Syllabus: Lectures 114
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