Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of zone-folded acoustic phonons in 4H and 6H silicon carbide

We investigate the dielectric properties of the 4H and 6H polytypes of silicon carbide in the 0.1-19 THz range, below the fundamental transverse-optical phonons. Folding of the Brillouin zone due to the specific superlattice structure of the two polytypes leads to activation of acoustic phonon modes. We use a combination of ultrabroadband terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and simulations based on density-functional perturbation theory to observe and characterize these modes, including band splitting due to the dissimilar carbon and silicon sublattices of the structures, and an indirect measurement of the anisotropic sound velocities in the two polytypes.