Laser-induced increase of resistivity and improvement of optical properties of CdZnTe crystal

The resistivity of CdZnTe crystals significantly increases after irradiation with λ=1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. This effect is explained by the compensation of Cd vacancies with In interstitial atoms caused by the increased In solubility due to a laser-induced temperature gradient field around the Te inclusions in the bulk of the crystal. The temperature gradient is caused by the selective absorption of the laser radiation by the Te inclusions. Evidence supporting our explanation is both the increase of the optical transparency of the crystal in IR spectra as well as the decrease of A°X band and the increase of D°X band intensity in photoluminescence spectra after irradiation by the laser.