In this work we report on a comparison of some theoretical models usually used to fit the dependence on temperature of the fundamental energy gap of semiconductor materials. We used in our investigations the theoretical models of Viña, Pässler-p and Pässler-ρ to fit several sets of experimental data, available in the literature for the energy gap of GaAs in the temperature range from 12 to 974 K. Performing several fittings for different values of the upper limit of the analyzed temperature range (Tmax), we were able to follow in a systematic way the evolution of the fitting parameters up to the limit of high temperatures and make a comparison between the zero-point values obtained from the different models by extrapolating the linear dependence of the gaps at high T to T = 0 K and that determined by the dependence of the gap on isotope mass. Using experimental data measured by absorption spectroscopy, we observed the non-linear behavior of Eg(T) of GaAs for T > ΘD.

Information collected in the present high resolution study of 104Pd(d,t)103Pd is interpreted within the systematics of the A ~ 100 region. The paper complements data previously presented by the S.Paulo Group, which were taken with the Pelletron-Enge-Spectrograph facility. A one-to-one correspondence to gamma ray results for 103Pd, collected by the Nuclear Data Sheets (NDS), was achieved and at least four open questions were settled. More reliable spectroscopic strengths were extracted in the present study.

The mechanism for low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) emissions in GaAsSb/AlGaAs and GaAsSbN/GaAs strained-layer single quantum wells (SQWs), grown by molecular-beam epitaxy, is studied in detail, using PL spectroscopy as a function of temperature and excitation intensity. In all samples, the PL peak energy as well as the full width at half maximum (FWHM), as a function of temperature, present anomalous behaviors, i.e., the PL peak energy shows a successive red/blue/redshift (S-shaped behavior) and the FWHM shows a successive blue/red/blueshift ("inverted S-shaped curve") with increasing temperature. At sufficiently low excitation intensity and in a narrow temperature interval (50 - 80 K), the nitrogen-containing samples present two clear competitive PL peaks. The low-energy PL mechanism (8 - 80 K) is dominated by localized PL transitions, while the high-energy PL mechanism is dominated by the ground state (e1-hh1) PL transition. Additionally, these PL peaks show different temperature dependence with the low-energy PL peak, showing a stronger redshift than the high-energy PL peak. A competition process between localized and delocalized excitons is used to discuss these PL properties.

We present a comparative study carried out on the optical and electrical characteristics of undoped and Te doped AlGaAsSb/AlAsSb Bragg mirrors with 6.5 pairs of layers and bulk undoped and Te doped AlGaAsSb epilayers alloys lattice matched on InP, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, using SIMS, photoluminescence, reflectivity and IxV techniques. The temperature dependence of PL transitions observed in the Bragg mirrors are similar to that observed in bulk samples and associated with the donor and acceptor recombinations in alloys with electrostatic potential fluctuations described by quasi-donor-acceptor-pair (QDAP) models. We verified by SIMS the presence of a macro fluctuation in the Te profile concentrations in the growth direction of the doped Bragg mirror. The influence of doping, alloy and macrofluctuation of incorporated Te on the optical and electrical properties of doped Bragg mirror is analyzed. The AlGaAs/AlAsSb seems a very attractive option for VCSEL technology.

Low-lying levels of 103Pd have been investigated through the (d,t) reaction on 104Pd, at an incident deuteron energy of 15.0 MeV. Outgoing particles were momentum analyzed by an Enge magnetic spectrograph and detected in nuclear emulsion plates, with an energy resolution of 8 keV. Previous (d,t) work suffered from a much worse resolution than that here achieved. A partial analysis of the data obtained is reported, referring to six out of the fourteen scattering angles for which data were obtained. Angular distributions associated with eight of the thirteen levels seen up to 1.1 MeV of excitation have been compared to DWBA one-neutron pick-up predictions. Both, the attributed excitation energy values and the transferred angular momenta are in excellent agreement with the results of other kind of experiments, as tabulated by the Nuclear Data Sheets. Some peculiar structure characteristics, associated with the yrast 5/2+, 3/2+ and 7/2+ states found in the Ru chain could be recognized also in 103Pd, pointing to the possibility of a more global understanding of this transitional mass region.

A detailed study of the photoluminescence properties in undoped and Te-doped AlGaAsSb alloys lattice matched to InP is presented. Photoluminescent temperature and excitation intensity dependences are employed to discuss the origin of the dominant transition and the influence of the presence of Al and Te on the fluctuation of the electrostatic potential in the epitaxial layers. The behavior of PL dominant transitions is associated with the quasi-donor-acceptor-pair (QDAP) model at a low temperature interval. The temperature dependence of photoluminescence intensities showed characteristics similar to those observed for amorphous semiconductors and disordered superlattices. The presence of two V elements, or the presence of Sb in the ternary and quaternary (III)-III-V-V alloys, causes a reduction in photoluminescence intensity temperature dependence, when compared to (III)-III-III-V alloys.

The study of the odd 99;101Ru nuclei complements the investigation of the collectivity of the first quadrupolar excitations in 100;102;104Ru. Angular distributions for the 99;101Ru(d, d') reactions at 13 MeV were obtained in the Pelletron Laboratory using nuclear emulsion plates on the focal plane of the Enge spectrograph. A Coulomb-Nuclar Interference analysis employing DWBA-DOMP predictions with global optical potential parameters was applied to the excitation of states which could belong to the multiplet built on the first quadrupolar excitation of the core. In the analysis, three states were identified for each of the isotopes and associated, respectively, with adopted levels in the Nuclear Data Sheets Compilation of Jpi= 5=2+, 7=2+ and 9=2+. Through the comparison of experimental and predicted cross section angular distributions, the values of (<IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif">)² and of the ratio C = <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif" >/ <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img02.gif" >were obtained.

Angular distributions for the inelastic scattering of 13.0 MeV deuterons on 104;106;108;110Pd were measured with the Sao Paulo Pelletron-Enge-Spectrograph facility in the range of 12(0) < thetalab < 64(0). A Coulomb-Nuclear Interference analysis, employing the Distorted Wave Born Approximation with the Deformed Optical Model as transition potential, under well established global optical parameters, was applied to the first quadrupolar excitations. The values of C = <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img02.gif">/ <IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif">, the ratio of charge to isoscalar deformation lengths, and of (<IMG SRC="/img/revistas/bjp/v34n3a/a14img01.gif">)² were extracted through the comparison of experimental and predicted cross section angular distributions. The ratios of reduced charge to isoscalar transition probabilities, B(EL) to B(ISL) respectively, are related to the square of the parameter C and were thus obtained with the advantage of scale uncertainties cancellation. For 104Pd, and preliminary for 108Pd, the respective values of C = 1.18(3) and C = 1.13(4) reveal an enhanced contribution of the protons relative to the neutrons to the excitation, while a smaller effect is found for 106Pd, C = 1.06(3) and for 110Pd, C = 1.07(3), in comparison with the value C = 1.00 expected for homogenous collective excitations.

Photoluminescence and photoreflectance measurements have been used to determine excitonic transitions in the ternary Al xGa1-xAs alloy in the temperature range from 2 to 300 K. The effect of the thermal expansion contribution on the temperature dependence of excitonic transitions for different aluminum concentrations in the Al xGa1-xAs alloy is presented. Results from this study have shown that the negative thermal expansion (NTE) in the Al xGa1-xAs alloy, in the low temperature interval, induces a small blueshift in the optical transition energy. In the temperature range from ~23 to ~95 K there is a competition between the NTE effect and the electron-phonon interaction. Using the thermal expansion coefficient in the 2 - 300 K temperature range, the thermal expansion contribution to GaAs, at room temperature, represents 21% of the total shift of the excitonic transition energy. After subtracting the thermal expansion contribution from the experimental temperature dependence of the excitonic transitions, in the Al xGa1-xAs alloy, the contribution to the electron-phonon interaction of the longitudinal optical phonon increases, relatively to the longitudinal acoustical phonon, with increasing Al concentration.