Induced photopleochroism in semiconductors

The results of experimental investigations of induced photopleochroism of elementary (Si, Ge), binary (III-V, II-VI), and more complicated diamond-like semiconductors (III-V-III-V solid solutions, ternary compounds I-III-VI and II-IV-V compounds) and photosensitive structures based on them are discussed and generalized. The laws of induced photopleochroism, which have been established for various types of phototransducers, and their relation with the parameters of semiconductors are analyzed. The possibilities of practical applications of induced polarization photosensitivity of isotropic semiconductors in polarimetric structures and in the diagnostics of the quality of the semiconductors are discussed. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics.