Resonant Raman scattering was used to study an InSb/${\mathrm{In}}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}$Sb strained-layer superlattice and the InSb and ${\mathrm{In}}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}$Sb parent materials. Resonant enhancement peaks were observed in epilayer films in the regions of the ${\mathit{E}}_1$ and ${\mathit{E}}_1$+${\mathrm{\Delta }}_1$ optical gaps. In the superlattice, two sets of peaks observed in the plots of the Raman cross section versus exciting photon energy are shown to originate from the independent electronic transitions in the alternating layers. The calculated resonance Raman profiles for two phonons in the alloy layers are in reasonable agreement with experiment. Estimates of the strain and confinement effects in these layers were made and these agree with the observed differences from the parent materials.

• Received 6 July 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.48.11234