Optical applications of iron silicides

Abstract

In an iron-silicon binary system, there are several important silicides such as semiconducting β-FeSi₂, the d-electron correlation narrow-gap semiconductor B20-FeSi with the characteristics of a Kondo insulator, and the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy Fe₃Si. These silicides have various properties and structures that can be directly adapted to photonic or spintronic applications. In this article, we report research towards achieving advanced applications of these silicides to photodetectors, photonic crystals with a high index contrast, and magneto-optical modulation devices. In addition, we report the unusual electrical conduction of characteristic narrow-gap semiconductor FeSi.