Photoluminescence of indium-doped cadmium telluride under high pressure and low temperature

Zinc blende Cadmium Telluride doped with Indium (CdTe:In) produces a characteristic photoluminescence peak in the 1.4 eV range. This thesis studies the pressure and temperature dependence of the photoluminescence of CdTe:In. The experiment was conducted over a pressure range of 0 GPa to 3 GPa and a temperature range 77 K to 200 K, by using a small diamond anvil cell and a helium cryostat.; CdTe:In undergoes a phase transition from the zinc blende structure to the B1 structure at around 3.5 GPa, when at room temperature. The photoluminescence of CdTe:In is quenched after it has transformed into the B1 phase. Upon decompression CdTe:In reverts back to the zinc blende phase; however the photoluminescence is still quenched. One explanation could be the loss of the donor-acceptor pairs associated with the presence of Cd vacancies.