Higher order electron cyclotron resonances in n-type HgTe-CdTe superlattices

Temperature-dependent magneto-optical measurements on an n-type HgTe-CdTe superlattice have been compared to the results of a comprehensive new theory, which fully incorporates the complexities of the unusual superlattice band structure. The theory predicts that higher order cyclotron resonance processes should yield a separate transmission minimum which is distinct from that of the lowest order cyclotron transition, and the data provide an unambiguous confirmation of this prediction. Since the energy gap is near zero, interband transitions are also observed in the same spectral range as the cyclotron resonance.