Phonon optics and phonon propagation in semiconductors

Abstract

Recent experiments involving the propagation of extremely high frequency, short-wavelength acoustic phonons in semiconductors are described. Such phonons, which play an important role in thermal energy transpor and nonradiative recombination processes, can be used as sensitive microscopic probes of electronic, defect, and interface states. Experiments on phonon transmission thrugh epitaxially grown bulk material as well as thin-film superlattice structures in the semiconductor gallium arsenide are described. Such thin-film periodic structures can be used to build frequency-selective phonon filters and reflectors, which can in turn be used to manipulate phonon diagnostic beams in technologically important materials.