Two Ga-interstitial (Gai) defects were identified by optically detected magnetic resonance as common grown-in defects in molecular beam epitaxial GaNyP1–y and AlxGa1–xNyP1–y. Characteristic hyperfine structure arising from spin interaction between an unpaired electron and a Ga nucleus was clearly resolved. The observed strong and nearly isotropic hyperfine interaction revealed an electron wave function of A1 symmetry that was highly localized at the Gai and thus a deep-level defect. An analysis based upon first-principles calculations suggested that these defects were complexes containing one Gai2+.

Identification of Ga-Interstitial Defects in GaNyP1–y and AlxGa1–xNyP1–y. N.Q.Thinh, I.P.Vorona, I.A.Buyanova, W.M.Chen, S.Limpijumnong, S.B.Zhang, Y.G.Hong, C.W.Tu, A.Utsumi, Y.Furukawa, S.Moon, A.Wakahara, H.Yonezu: Physical Review B, 2004, 70[12], 121201 (4pp)