Photoinduced Changes in the Charge States of Native Donors and Acceptors in ZnGeP2

Bulk ZnGeP2 (ZGP) crystals grown for high-power tunable mid-infrared laser systems contain large concentrations of three native defects. Using EPR, these three defects have been identified as the Zn vacancy (an acceptor), the phosphorus vacancy (a donor), and the germanium-on-zinc antisite (also a donor). We have studied the wavelength dependence of the photoinduced changes in the EPR signal intensity of the three defect centers using 633 nm and 1064 nm light. We observe a significant increase in the EPR signal under 633 nm light. The 633-nm light also produces an increase in the defect-related 1-R.m absorption band, and we have used a spectrophotometer to measure the spectral shape of the photoinduced change in absorption in this near-IR region. The 633-nm wavelength produces paramagnetic forms of both donor centers, while 1064 nm light only produces the EPR-active center. Time decays of the photoinduced EPR signals have been measured for each of the donors.