Electronic materials growth and characterisation

Abstract: In this thesis the InSb(111), InAs(111) and GaSb(001) surfaces have been studied by means of time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy based upon the femtosecond laser system. The pump-and-probe technique allows to analyse both electron states in the valence band and normally unpopulated electron states above the valence band, which can be occupied by transiently excited carriers at the optically pumped surface. The life time of excited carriers is analysed by controlling over the time delay between pump and probe pulses. Experimental studies of the InSb(111) surface and comparison with a previously studied InSb(110) surface show electron excitations in the bulk region with a minor surface contribution. Time-resolved experiments of carrier dynamics at the polar InAs(111)A and InAs(111)B surfaces show about the same life time of excited carriers, while no populated states above the valence band maximum have been found at the InAs(111)A due to the charge removal. Surface intergap electron states have been found at the GaSb(001) surface located at ~250 meV above the valence band maximum. Angle-resolved experiments showed a strong confinement of this state at the centre of the surface Brillouin zone.A new two dimensional angle-resolved multi-anode analyser for the femtosecond laser photoemission setup has been constructed. The analyser can resolve a cone opening angle of ~1º at a drift distance of ~0.5 m with an energy resolution of ~125 meV.A continuous series of binary system SrTiO3–PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 has been grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on sapphire substrate with crystalline quality control by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The maximum tunability has been tailored to room temperature, where STO?PZT (71/29) composition shows superior performance. A PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin film pressure sensor has been fabricated by PLD and characterised by XRD and electrical measurements. The piezoelectric constant was found to be ~20 % higher compared to the bulk ceramics. A ferroelectric thin film electro-optical cell Na0.5K0.5NbO3/La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (NKN/LSCO) on sapphire has been fabricated by PLD. Refractive indices and electro-optical coefficient of the cell were characterised by prism coupling refractometry. The tunability of the PLD fabricated 2 ?m slot NKN thin film interdigital capacitor has been found ~23 % at 40 V bias voltage and frequency 1 MHz.