Optical absorption of vanadium in ZnSe single crystals

The study is concerned with ZnSe:V single crystals produced by diffusion doping. The optical density spectra are recorded in the photon energy range from 0.4 to 3 eV. From the shift of the absorption edge, the vanadium concentration in the crystals is determined. The nature of optical transitions controlling the optical properties of the ZnSe:V single crystals in the visible and infrared spectral regions is identified. The diffusion profile of the vanadium impurity is established from measurements of the relative optical density of the crystals in the visible spectral region. The vanadium diffusion coefficients in ZnSe crystals at temperatures of 1120–1320 K are calculated; at 1320 K, the vanadium diffusion coefficient is 10$^{-9}$ cm$^2$ s$^{-1}$.