Abstract
We have recently observed a growing interest in using the powerful technique of optical modulation spectroscopy. These applications are related mostly to the characterization of low dimensional semiconductor structures and devices based on them.
The International Workshop on Modulation Spectroscopy of Semiconductor Structures (MS^3^) at the beginning of July 2004 gathered in Wrocław (in the southwest part of Poland) almost 40 participants, half of them from abroad. The 8 invited and 16 contributed talks were presented by the leaders of research teams from the USA, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, Russia, Lithuania and Poland. Part of the MS^3^ workshop was held at the Laboratory of Advanced Optical Spectroscopy, Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, where discussions on technical matter of the modulation spectroscopy were carried out in a relaxing atmosphere over a cup of coffee.
The topics of the MS^3^ workshop included: advantages of photoreflectance, electroreflectance, contactless electroreflectance, thermoreflectance, differential reflectance and wavelength‐modulated surface photovoltage spectroscopy. The applications of the above methods to investigate transistor, diode and laser structures including VCSELs, low dimensional structures of both wings of the spectrum, i.e. wide band gap materials like GaN, AlGaN, ZnO and low band gap materials such as GaInN(Sb)As, InAs, InSb, and FeSi~2~ were demonstrated.
It is our great pleasure to publish the most interesting of the MS^3^ workshop presentations in this issue of physica status solidi (a).
The organizers acknowledge Wrocław University of Technology, the Center of Exellence CEPHONA from the Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw and the Polish Committee for Scientific Research for financial support of the workshop.