Theory of Cyclotron Resonance in Strained Silicon Crystals

Abstract

The valence band structure in silicon single crystals subjected to an external uniaxial stress is investigated. The cyclotron resonance line for holes in such crystals is predicted to display a significant shift with increasing stress, if the split band populated with holes is associated with the quantum number ${M}_{J}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{1}{2}$. This strain-induced shift is characterized by the following properties: (a) Its magnitude is of the order of 10% of the frequency for strains of the order of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$; (b) it is anisotropic with respect to the relative orientation of the external magnetic field to that of the stress; (c) it must be absent if the band populated with holes is associated with the quantum number ${M}_{J}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{3}{2}$. These properties in conjunction with the experimentally determined shifts, presented in the paper by Hensel and Feher, lead to a unique assignment of the band parameters which had been left ambiguous by previous experiments. A discussion of the line shape of hole resonance in a deformed crystal is also presented.