Tl4SnS3, Tl4SnSe3 and Tl4SnTe3 crystals as novel IR induced optoelectronic materials

Abstract

A new type of chalcogenide crystals Tl4SnS3, Tl4SnSe3, Tl4SnTe3 easily processing by external IR laser light is fabricated. For the titled crystals linear electrooptical effect was induced by external IR polarized light formed by two coherent beams of Er:glass nanosecond laser at fundamental wavelength 1540 nm. The detection of the electrooptical coefficient was performed by continuous-wave 1 W CO2 laser at probing wavelength 10.6 μm. The origin of the effect is caused by an occurrence of the thin (up to 50 nm) photoexcited nanosheets which forms near the surface space charge density non-centrosymmetry. The relaxation of the electrooptics after switching off of the photoinduced Er:glass laser beam is explored for different types of samples at different power densities. The crystals may be used for IR optical triggering.