Optical library of Ga2O3 polymorphs

TL;DR

This paper creates a comprehensive optical signature library for different Ga2O3 polymorphs, aiding phase identification and device application development by systematically comparing their optical properties.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic cross-correlation of optical features across Ga2O3 polymorphs, establishing consistent scaling of bandgaps and emission features.

Findings

Optical bandgap and emission features scale consistently across polymorphs.

A comparative library of optical signatures for Ga2O3 phases is developed.

Methodological uncertainties are minimized for accurate comparison.

Abstract

Gallium oxide is a novel advanced material gaining increasing attention for its unique combination of functional properties. It forms in several phases or polymorphs - {\alpha}, {\beta}, {\gamma}, and {\kappa} - having variable properties because of different lattice symmetries. Optical properties are of particular importance as they determine specific device applications and can also be used for phase identification. However, a direct comparison of optical polymorph signatures, including such critical parameters as bandgaps, is challenging due to the scattered, limited, or even absent data for certain phases in the literature. To address this issue, in the present work we systematically cross-correlate optical emission and absorption features of {\alpha}, {\beta}, {\gamma}, and {\kappa} thin films, as well as differently oriented {\beta}-phase bulk crystals and {\gamma}/{\beta} double polymorph structures. We demonstrate that the optical bandgap and emission features scale consistently across these polymorphs upon minimization of the methodological uncertainties. As a result, this work provides a comparative library of near- and far-field optical signatures of the polymorphs for use by the multidisciplinary research community working with gallium oxide.