We determine the composition dependence of the transverse and longitudinal optical infrared-active phonon modes in rhombohedral α-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 alloys by far-infrared and infrared generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry. Single-crystalline high quality undoped thin-films grown on m-plane oriented α-Al2O3 substrates with x = 0.18, 0.37, and 0.54 were investigated. A single mode behavior is observed for all phonon modes, i.e., their frequencies shift gradually between the equivalent phonon modes of the isostructural binary parent compounds. We also provide physical model line shape functions for the anisotropic dielectric functions. We use the anisotropic high-frequency dielectric constants for polarizations parallel and perpendicular to the lattice c axis measured recently by Hilfiker et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 119, 092103 (2021)], and we determine the anisotropic static dielectric constants using the Lyddane–Sachs–Teller relation. The static dielectric constants can be approximated by linear relationships between those of α-Ga2O3 and α-Al2O3. The optical phonon modes and static dielectric constants will become useful for device design and free charge carrier characterization using optical techniques.
Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF) [NSF DMR 1808715]; NSF/EPSCoR RII Track-1: Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies (EQUATE) [OIA-2044049]; Air Force Office of Scientific Research [FA9550-18-10360, FA9550-19-S-0003, FA9550-21-1-0259]; ACCESS, an AFOSR Center of Excellence [FA9550-18-10529]; Knut and Alice Wallenbergs Foundation; University of Nebraska Foundation; J. A. Woollam Foundation; JSPS Overseas Challenge Program for Young Researchers [1080033]; Swedish Research Council VR Award [201600889]; Swedish Energy Agency [P453396-1]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research Grant [RIF14055, EM16-0024]; Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems VINNOVA under the Competence Center Program [2016-05190]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Link_oping University, Faculty Grant SFO Mat LiU [2009-00971]