Solid State Communications,Vol. 71, No. 9, pp. 731-734, 1989. 0038-1098/89$3.00+.

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Printed in Great Britain. Pergamon Press Plc

THEORY OF SELF-SIMILARITY IN REFLECTIVITY SPECTRUM

OF THUE-MORSESUPERLATTICE

M. Inoue, T. Ogawa
Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan
H. Niyaeaki
Department of Physics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 U.S.A.
and
Department of Applied Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980, Japan*

(Received on 6 June 1989 by H. Kamimura)

Opt ical reflectivity of a semiconductor superlattice is calculated

numerically for the Thue-Morse model which is characterieed by the inflation
rule A+ AB and B-+BA. The self-similarity , nested structure and the local
inversion symmetry of the spectrum are analyeed by the use of the exact
expression of the structure factor.

The structures of the condensed matter the materials in the Fibonacci lattice is then
range from perfect periodicity to complete given as
randomness and in between, there exist various
ABAABABAABAABABAABABAABAABABAABAAB...., (2)
degrees of disordered states. The icosahedral
symmetry had been believed to be incompatible
which is not periodic but has an infinite number
with the crystallinity and therefore, the
of self-similarity units. Its response
observation that a certain metallic alloy does
functions, e.g., X-ray scattering’) lo and
exhibit such symmetry aroused excitement1p2 and
optical reflectivity12 show self-similar
renewed researches on quasi-periodic systems.
spectra. The fact that the lattice structure is
Penrose tiling3-6 in two-dimension and Fibonacci
deterministic but not periodic suggests that
lattice’-lo in one-dimension are model systems
some irrational number is inherent in the
most extensively studied. In this letter, we
structure. In the Fibonacci lattice, this magic
report the numerical calculation of the optical
number is the golden mean r=(ltJ5)/2. With the
reflectivity of a semiconductor superlattice of
increase of the generation n, the number of
Thue-Morse” model. Differences and similarities
layers increases with a certain ratio and for
of the two lattice structures are discussed in
large n, this ratio approaches to I.
comparison with that of the Fibonacci lattice
Consequently, the size of the unit of the self-
and the origin of the self-similarity and the
similar structure also increases with the ratio
local inversion symmetry of the spectrum are
r. Furthermore, the ratio of the number of the
explained by using the analytical expression of
two kinds of layers also approaches to r for
the structure factor.
large n. Thus, the irrational number z appears
Simulating the rule to obtain Fibonacci
in various parts of the lattice structure.
numbers, one generates the Fibonacci lattice as
The rule given in (1) is equivalent to the
follows;
inflation transformation
M(n)=M(n-l)M(n-2), with M(l)=A, M(2)=AB. (1)
A-+AB, B-+A . (3)
Here, A and B denote different semiconductor
layers in superlatt ice9 slo. The sequence of By modifying this rule to

A+AB, BdBA , (4)

*) Permanent address

731
732 REFLECTIVITY SPECTRUM OF TBDE-MORSE SUPER-LATTICE Vol. 71, No.
we obtain another sequence structure factor of this lattice, R(q), is
defined in the same way. Using the notation
M(l)=A, M(B)=AB, M(3)=ABBA, M(I)=ABBABAAB,
S(q,L) and R(q,L) for the L-th generation which
M(5)=ABBABAABBAABABBA, contains OLel atoms, the structure factors for
the lattices are given by taking the limit of
M(6)=ABBABAABBAABABBABAABABBAABBABAAB,(5)
L+ cc. Comparing the two sequences, one easily
for each generation. This lattice is called finds the recursion relation
Thue-Morse lattice which has the following
S(q,L)=S(q,L-l)+K(L)*(R(q,L-1)-l), (7)
properties. Obviouely it is not periodic but it
has a self-similar structure. Putting Pl=AB and R(q,L)=R(q,L-l)+K(L)*(S(q,L-l)-l),
Ql"BA, one finds that the sequence of A and B 2L-2
layers in (5) is reproduced by "layers" Pl and
K(L)=(PB) a P=exp(i*q*a) and Q=exp(i*q*b).

61. In the same way, P2=P1Q1=ABBA and Eliminating R(q,L) from the two equations, a
Q2=QlPl=BAAB also reproduce the sequence. Thus, recursion equation is obtained for S(q,L) as,
the lattice has an infinite number of self-
S(q,Ltl)=lt(ltK(L))(S(q,L)-1)
similarity units which consist of "layers"
Pn=Pn_lQn_l and Qn=Qn_lPn_l with PD=A and QD=B. tK(L)(K(Ltl)-l)(S(q,L-1)-l),
The total number of layers and the sise of the
S(q,l)=ltP and S(q,2)=ltPtPQ. (8)
self-similarity unit increase with the ratio
y=2, and the fraction of each layer is always This expression is convenient for the numerical
l/1=0.5. Thus, the magic number of this calculation. We choose parameters such that they
lattice is a rational number 7=2. In addition describe the optical response of the system.
to the "sysuetry of the scale transformation", That is, we put q=w/c for the wave number and
the lattice has a "local inversion symmetry". a=2*d*J-T-; and b=2*d*rB for the effective
Divide the whole lattice into pieces each of thickness of the layers. The dielectric
which consists of four atous. Then one finds constants of A and B layers, B A (=9+0.005*i)
that all the elements have an inversion syuetry and EB (=ll), are assumed to be frequency
with respect to their centers. Similar symsetry independent and the imaginary part describes the
exists when each element consists of 4, 16, damping of the electromagnetic field. d (~100 A)
64 ,...4" layers. The symmetry of “odd parity”, is the thickness of the layer, c is the light
which means that A (B) layer is replaced by B velocity in the vacuum and w is the frequency
(A) layer by the local inversion operator, of the incident light. The absolute value of
exists when each element is made of 2*4” atoms. the structure factor is given in Fig.1, which
To suuariee, both lattices have self-similar shows that a large number of singularities are
structures. The magic number r of the embedded in the smooth background. In the
Fibonacc i lattice is an irrational number. spectrum, one finds “windows” where singular
However the Thue-Morse lattice is characterieed structures are absent, and the distribution of
by a rational number y=2. In the following, we these windows exhibits a self-similar structure.
show that the difference of the characters of To obtain analytical expression of the
the magic numbers is irrelevant to the fact that structure factor, X(n) in (6) should be given
the spectrum has self-similar and nested explicitly. From (5), X(Bm)=m(atb) is obvious
structure. and it is important to observe the relation
Next we calculate the structure factor C(2”tj)=-C(j). Here, C(j)(=A or B) shows that
the site j is occupied by the layer A or B and
S(q)= % exp(i*q*X(n)), (6)
-A and -B means B and A, respectively. When we
by assigning thickness a for A layer and b for B express an odd number n=2mtl by the binary
layer. That is X(0)=0, X(l)=a, X(2)=atb, system as
X(J)=atbtb,.... For convenience, we generate
m=k(j)*2j-1tk(j-l)*2j-2t......tk(l) ,
another sequence which starts with B layer and
constructed by the sase inflation rule. The
and K=$ k(i) , (9)
layers in this lattice is the mirror image of
the original lattice given in (5) and the we find that the layer on the site n is A when K
Vol. 71, No. 9 REFLECTIVITY SPECTRUM OF THUE-MORSE SUPER-LATTICE 733

the lowest energy of this type of singularity is

around 10 eV in Fig.1. Therefore, we next focus
our attention on the spectrum of Z2. From the
expression in (12), it is clear that Z2=0 holds
for all the frequencieswhich satisfy

Z2k=exp(i*20(~At~d*2k,c)=l, (k>O). (13)

These frequencies are given by o=a N/zk for

arbitrary integers N and k, and a is SOWE
constant. Thus, the self-similarity of the
spectrum by the scale factor l/7=1/2 is
explained. In Fig.1, the window at or1.22 eV
k.
0.0 1.2 1.6 2.0 originates from N=l, k=3, 0=0.61 eV from N=l,
W(eV) k=4, o=O.92 eV from N=3 k=5, and so on. It is
seen that with the increase of the index k, the
Fig.1 Square of the absolute value of the width of the window in the spectrum decreases by
structure factor for the Thue-Morse lattice. the factor l/2. In addition to this self-
The parameters correspond to those of a similarity, the spectrum exhibits nested
semiconductor superlattice of dielectric structures and local inversion symmetry. Assume
constants fA=9+0.005*i and EB=ll with that the spectrum opens windows at 01 and 02.
thickness d=lOO A. Then it is easy to prove that o=T-lwlt(l-y-
1)@2 also gives the frequency of the window.
This proves the nested structure of the
spectrum. Next, assume that the window opens at
w,i.e., Z2=0. Then we find that 1 Z2 1 takes
is an even number and B when K is an odd number.
the same value at w+=ot6 and w_=w-b.
Therefore, by grouping successive even and odd
This relation describes the local inversion
terms we obtain,
symmetry with respect to w, the center of the
S(q)= z (PQ)D*(lt~*~(-l)K) window in the spectrum.
Z(k(l)tk(2)*2+.....k(.j)*2j-1)v(ltP) The method to calculate the optical
=K Aen reflectivity of this lattice is essentially the
Z(k(l)tk(2)*2+.....k(.j)*2JD1)*(ltQ)
same as that reported elsewhere12 for the
'K:o%d
q(ltP)*Fe(Z) l (l+Q)*Fo(Z), (10)
0.6L"", -“I I,, ,‘,I’, , ,‘, ,,
where Z=FQ. The first term is the sum over
k(l), k(2),.... for K=even and the second term
is for K=odd. By summing over k(l), we obtain
the recursion relation

Fe(Z)=Fe(Z2)tZ*Fo(Z2),

Fo(Z)=Fo(Z2)tZ*Fe(Z2). (11)

Assuming that the absolute value of Z is less

than unity, it is straightforwardto obtain

Fe(Z)=0.5*(ZltZ2),Fo(Z)=0.5*(Z1-Z2), (12)
0.6 1.2
?w(eV)
z1=(1tz)*(1tzq*(1tz22)*(ltz23)*....(ltzq..

=1/(1-Z) (

z2=(1-z)*(1-z2)*(1-z~2)*(l-z~3)*....(1-Z2n)..
. Fig.2 Reflectivity spectrum of the Thue-
This expression shows that the singularity in Zl Morse semiconductorsuperlattice. The
appears only at Z=l. For the parameters used, parameters are the same with those of Fig.1.
734 REFLECTIVITY SPECTRUM OF THUE-MORSE SUPER-LATTICE Vol. 71, No. 9

Fibonacci lattice. So, we briefly summarize it calculation enormously. The size of the super-
here. Consider a semi-infinite system made of a lattice is increased until convergence is
semiconductor superlattice. The left-half of attained and the reflectivity thus obtained is
the system is the vacuum, where incident given in Fig.2 for normal incidence. The
electric field is irradiated and the reflected spectrum consists of a large number of peaks and
wave is measured. The right-hand side is dips separated by windows. The distribution of
occupied by a semi-infinite A or B material and windows show self-similar and nested structure
in the middle, our Thue-Morse superlattice is and the spectrum has a local inversion symmetry
sandwiched. To calculate reflectivity spectrum with respect to the center of each window. As
we proceed from the right hand side, where there the reflectivity of the semiconductor super-
is no reflected wave. Define the column vector lattice is determined by the coherent multiple
V(n), the first element of which gives the scattering of the electric field at interfaces
electric field going to the right and the second of the layers, the spectrum is entirely
element gives the electric field reflected back characterieed by the structure factorl2 given in
to the left in the n-th layer. The boundary (10). In fact, Fig.1 and Fig.2 show that the
conditions for the electric fields at the n-th frequencies of the windows in the spectrum
interface are expressed by a two-by-two matrix coincide exactly with each other. Consequently,
equation which connects the two vectors V(n) and the structure of the reflectivity spectrum is
V(nt1). Effects of the coherent scattering of completely understood by our analysis of the
electric field by the superlattice is then structure factor.
described by a product of a large number of In this letter, we investigated
matrices. At the right hand side of the theoretically the optical reflectivity of a
matrices, we put the vector Vl(R)=l and V2(R)=O semiconductor superlattice of Thue-Morse model.
which describes that there is no reflected wave The lattice is self-similar but has no
at the right hand side. Hence, the reflectivity irrational number in the structure. The self-
is given by the ratio of the (11) and (21) similar and nested structure of the
elements of the product of the matrices. For reflectivity spectrum is explained in terms of
the numerical calculation, a recursion relation the analytical expression of the structure
is used as was done for the structure factor in factor.
(798). This procedure simplifies the

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