Optical properties of {beta}-Sn films

Optical properties of white tin ({beta}-Sn) have been investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry in the photon-energy range between 0.6 and 6.5 eV at room temperature. The {beta}-Sn films are deposited by vacuum evaporation on Si(001) substrates. The structural properties of the films are evaluated by x-ray diffraction and ex situ atomic force microscopy. The measured {epsilon}(E) spectra reveal distinct structures at several interband critical points in the Brillouin zone of {beta}-Sn. These spectra are analyzed on the basis of a simplified model of the interband transitions, including the free-carrier absorption between the filled and empty electronic states. Dielectric-related optical constants, such as the complex refractive index, absorption coefficient, and normal-incidence reflectivity, of bulk {beta}-Sn films are also presented.