Charge-state control of carbon-related optical absorption in AlN

Helen C. Robinson; Daniil Danilin; Md Shafiqul Islam Mollik; Darshana Wickramaratne; John L. Lyons; Vladimir Fedorov; Sergey Mirov; M. E. Zvanut

arXiv · 2606.19615

Charge-state control of carbon-related optical absorption in AlN

Helen C. Robinson·Daniil Danilin·Md Shafiqul Islam Mollik·Darshana Wickramaratne·John L. Lyons·Vladimir Fedorov·Sergey Mirov·M. E. Zvanut

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Abstract

Sub-bandgap optical absorption in AlN between 2 eV and 4 eV is widely observed, but its microscopic origin remains contested. Using photo-induced electron paramagnetic resonance (photo-EPR) and optical absorption spectroscopy on the same samples, we demonstrate a correlation between this absorption band and the neutral charge state of substitutional carbon on the nitrogen site (C$_N$). Hybrid functional calculations of the optical absorption spectra show that a transition involving C$_N$ and the valence band occurs near 3.3 eV, which agrees well with a peak identified within the measured optical absorption between 2 eV and 4 eV. This conclusion requires the combined ability to manipulate the charge state of carbon using photo-EPR and to use first-principles calculations of the absorption line shape that account for the dispersion of the valence band and the energy dependence of the optical matrix elements.

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Helen C. Robinson, Daniil Danilin, Md Shafiqul Islam Mollik, Darshana Wickramaratne, John L. Lyons, Vladimir Fedorov, Sergey Mirov, M. E. Zvanut. 2026-06-17. Charge-state control of carbon-related optical absorption in AlN. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.19615

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