Coupling of GaN- and AlN-like longitudinal optic phonons in Ga1−xAlxN solid solutions

Long-wavelength optical phonons of Ga1−xAlxN solid solutions have been identified in a wide compositional range by Raman spectroscopy. The A1 and E1 polar phonon frequencies evolve continuously with x from one-member crystal to the other. The same behavior seems to hold true for the silent B1 mode, which manifests itself by an interference with an unidentified continuum. Coupling of the longitudinal-optic (LO) modes associated with the two types of bonds, via the macroscopic electric field, is treated by a generalization of the dielectric model [D. T. Hon and W. L. Faust, J. Appl. Phys. 1, 241 (1973)]. This approach accounts for the observed frequencies and supports the apparent one-mode behavior of the polar LO phonons.