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Hybrid Optical Modes in Hexagonal Crystals

In nanostructure electronic devices, it is well-known that the optical lattice waves in the constituent semiconductor crystals have to obey both mechanical and electrical boundary conditions at an interface. The theory of hybrid optical modes, established for cubic crystals, is here applied to hexagonal crystals. In general, the hybrid is a linear combination of a longitudinally-polarized (LO) mode, an interface mode (IF), and an interface TO mode. It is noted that the dielectric and elastic anisotropy of these crystals add significant complications to the assessment of the electro-phonon interaction. We point out that, where extreme accuracy is not needed, a cubic approximation is available. The crucial role of lattice dispersion is emphasised. In the extreme long-wavelength limit, where lattice dispersion is unimportant, the polar optical hybrid consists of an LO component plus an IF component only. In his case no fields are induced in the barrier, and there are no remote-phonon effects.