Nonlinear behavior of the energy gap in Ge1−xSnx alloys at 4K

The optical energy gap of Ge1−xSnx alloys (x⩽0.14) grown on Ge substrates has been determined by performing transmittance measurements at 4K using a fast fourier transform infrared interferometer. The direct energy gap transitions in Ge1−xSnx alloys behave following a nonlinear dependence on the Sn concentration, expressed by a quadratic equation, with a so called bowing parameter b0 that describes the deviation from a simple linear dependence. Our observations resulted in b0RT=2.30±0.10eV and b04K=2.84±0.15eV, at room temperature and 4K, respectively. The validity of our fit is limited for Sn concentrations lower than 15%.