Abstract

Mercuric iodide is a wide bandgap semiconductor which is of technological interest because it can be used as a room temperature x-ray, gamma-ray and optical detector. In order to understand the physical processes involved in the optical response of mercuric iodide detectors, we have conducted time-resolved experiments using below-bandgap excitation. Time-resolved experiments allow us to explore the dynamics of optically excited species and possibly to deduce the role played by defect states in excited state relaxation.

© 1990 Optical Society of America