Reflectivity Study of HgSe$\text{}_{1-x}$Te$\text{}_{x}$ Crystals

The room temperature reflectivity spectra of HgSe$\text{}_{1-x}$Te$\text{}_{x}$ (x = 0, 0.4, 0.5, 1.0) crystals were measured in the visible and ultraviolet range from 1.5 to 12 eV. The maxima characteristic of the binary HgA$\text{}^{IV}$ compounds can be revealed in the mixed crystals spectra, but their position depends on the crystal composition. There is no duplication of the spectral features in spite of the different energy position of the maxima for HgSe and HgTe. This suggests that the virtual crystal approximation could be used to describe basic optical properties of HgSe$\text{}_{1-x}$Te$\text{}_{x}$.