Implantation induced changes in II-VI semiconductor heterostructures

Focused ion beam implantation was used to modulate characteristic optical properties of II-VI heterostructures on a lateral nm-scale. Three different applications will be discussed, including basic physics as well as optoelectronic applications for the visible spectral range. In waveguides based on ZnSe heterostructures, both gain-coupled distributed feedback operation and quasi-phase matched second harmonic generation are investigated by modulating laterally the optical gain and the second order susceptibility χ(2), respectively. In CdTe/CdMnTe quantum wells, bandgap modulation is demonstrated by ion implantation and subsequent rapid thermal annealing, revealing a large potential for realizing semimagnetic nanostructures by selective interdiffusion.