ABSTRACT
The optical properties of the group-III-nitride materials are obviously of direct relevance for optoelectronic applications, but experiments measuring optical properties also give information on a range of electronic properties. There is already a wealth of data in the literature on the optical properties of III-nitrides [1–4], and here we will concentrate on some of the most recent additions to the scientific knowledge. The focus, looking at the present situation concerning technical applications of these materials, has been on GaN, InGaN, and AlGaN in recent decades. AlGaN materials are important for ultraviolet (UV) emitters and high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures and AlGaN optical properties have accordingly been studied over the entire Al composition range. InGaN materials (with In content <50%) have also been studied extensively, and the light-emitting diode (LED) applications based on InGaN/GaN quantum structures have already been awarded a Nobel Prize in 2014. However, the applications of InN are lagging behind. The development of growth procedures for InN and In-rich InGaN has been difficult, and their optical properties were consequently much less studied in the past.
