Interband optical transitions of Zn

Abstract

Experimental results of an optical study of single-crystal zinc are presented. Components of the Zn dielectric function tensor were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the 0.1-5 e V spectral range. In the NIR-VIS range, the dielectric function spectra show two clearly resolved, polarization-dependent optical features located at about 1 and 1.7 eV. The optical features were analyzed in a framework of parallel-band optical transitions. The performed theoretical calculations of the optical conductivity spectra well reproduce the experimental data with respect to positions, intensities, and polarization dependencies of the observed interband absorption peaks.