Raman analysis of the E1 and A1 quasi-longitudinal optical and quasi-transverse optical modes in wurtzite AlN

This article presents a study of the quasi-longitudinal optical and quasi-transverse optical modes in wurtzite AlN which originate from the interaction of phonons belonging to the A1 and E1 symmetry groups. In order to analyze the allowed quasi as well as pure Raman modes, the modes were observed in a rotating crystallographic coordinate system, and the Raman tensors of the wurtzite crystal structure were calculated as a function of the crystallographic rotation. The frequencies of the quasimodes of wurtzite AlN were also analyzed in terms of the interaction of the polar phonons with the long range electrostatic field model. The experimental values of the Raman frequencies of the quasiphonons concur with these expected from the model, implying that the long range electrostatic field dominates the short range forces for polar phonons in AlN. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)03407-6].