Persistent spectral-hole burning in the wide-gap semiconductor SiC doped with vanadium

Area of Science:

• Solid-state physics
• Materials science
• Quantum optics

Background:

• Investigating persistent spectral hole burning (PSHB) in wide-gap semiconductors for optical data storage applications.
• Understanding the behavior of transition metal ions, specifically V(4+), in 6H-silicon carbide (6H-SiC) matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform persistent spectral hole burning in the gamma line of V(4+) in 6H-SiC.
• To determine the temperature stability and mechanism of the burned spectral holes.
• To explore optical methods for erasing the spectral holes.

Main Methods:

• Persistent spectral-hole burning (PSHB) experiments conducted at 11 K.
• Temperature stability tests of burned spectral holes up to 320 K.
• Optical erasure methods involving electron back-pumping and charge-transfer transitions.

Main Results:

• Spectral holes burned in the V(4+) gamma line in 6H-SiC were stable for several days at temperatures up to 320 K.
• The hole-burning mechanism was identified as two-step photoionization of V(4+), termed self-gated spectral-hole burning.
• Optical erasure of spectral holes was achieved by specific pumping protocols.

Conclusions:

• V(4+) in 6H-SiC exhibits properties suitable for persistent spectral hole burning, indicating potential for optical data storage.
• The observed high-temperature stability of spectral holes is a significant finding for practical applications.
• The photoionization mechanism and optical erasure methods provide insights into controlling optical memory in this system.