Luminescence of Acceptors in Mg-Doped GaN

Abstract

Recent photoluminescence (PL) data for Mg-doped GaN at 2 K are discussed, with reference to published theoretical calculations of the electronic level structure. It is concluded that the typical PL peaks at 3.466 eV (acceptor bound exciton ABE1) and the broader 3.27 eV donor–acceptor pair (DAP) PL are the expected standard PL signatures of the substitutional Mg acceptor. Additional broader peaks at 3.455 eV (ABE2) and 3.1 eV are suggested to be related to the same acceptors perturbed by nearby basal plane stacking faults. The low temperature metastability of PL spectra is assigned to a nonradiative metastable deep level.