Raman spectroscopic study of SbxSe100−x phase-separated bulk glasses

The structure of SbxSe100−x bulk glasses is investigated with the aid of Raman scattering over a wide composition range. The Raman spectra of the glasses exhibit unusual features when compared with other structurally similar binary glasses, owing to the phase separation of the present glasses in a certain composition range. The evolution of the Raman spectra and the depolarization ratio of the polarized and depolarized Raman intensities are consistent with the phase separation effect. The present findings are discussed alongside with calorimetric data from the literature that have been used up to now to extract structural information in an indirect way. The capability of Raman scattering as a tool for investigating phase separation in homogeneous media is demonstrated.