We have quantitatively measured the linear and the nonsaturable absorption as well as the absorption modulation and its recovery time in as-grown and annealed low-temperature (LT) GaAs. Correlation of the optical data with As antisite (AsGa) defect densities yields the absorption cross section and the saturation parameter of the dominant AsGa to the conduction-band defect transition. We show that this defect transition is mainly responsible for the large nonsaturable absorption in as-grown LT GaAs with fast recovery times. Reducing the AsGa density by annealing yields an optimized material with small nonsaturable absorption, high absorption modulation, and fast recovery times.

We use positron annihilation to study vacancy defects in GaAs grown at low temperatures ͑LT-GaAs͒. The vacancies in as-grown LT-GaAs can be identified to be Ga monovacancies, V Ga , according to their positron lifetime and annihilation momentum distribution. The charge state of the vacancies is neutral. This is ascribed to the presence of positively charged As Ga ϩ antisite defects in vicinity to the vacancies. Theoretical calculations of the annihilation parameters show that this assignment is consistent with the data. The density of V Ga is related to the growth stoichiometry in LT-GaAs, i.e., it increases with the As/Ga beam equivalent pressure ͑BEP͒ and saturates at 2ϫ10 18 cm Ϫ3 for a BEPу20 and a low growth temperature of 200°C. Annealing at 600°C removes V Ga . Instead, larger vacancy agglomerates with a size of approximately four vacancies are found. It will be shown that these vacancy clusters are associated with the As precipitates formed during annealing.

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