E.P. Skipetrov

Stabilization of the fermi level by a resonant gallium level in Pb1−x SnxTe alloys

Electrical properties of gallium-doped n-Pb1−xSnxTe alloys (x=0.09−0.21) are studied. Ahomalous temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient which indicate the Fermi level pinning by a resonant gallium level in the conduction band were detected. The dependences of the electron concentration and Fermi energy on the alloy composition and temperature are calculated from experimental data in terms of the two-band Kane dispersion relation. It is shown that the gallium resonant level position relative to the valence band top is almost independent of the matrix composition. The dependence of the thermal coefficient of the resonant level shift with respect to the midgap on the alloy composition is obtained.

Gallium-induced defect states in Pb1-xGexTe alloys

Galvanomagnetic effects (B ≤ 0.1 T, 4.2 ≤ T < 300 K) in n-Pb 1-x Ge x Te( (0.04 ≤ x ≤ 0.08) alloys doped with gallium (1.5-3 at%) have been investigated as well as before and after the irradiation with fast electrons (T 300 K, E = 6 MeV, Φ ≤ 2.4 × 10 16 cm -2 ). Low-temperature activation range on temperature dependencies of the resistivity and the Hall constant has been revealed in the alloys with low initial gallium concentration. Increasing in the gallium content as well as fast-electron irradiation lead to the transition to the metal-type conductivity in the samples. The results were explained under assumption that gallium doping induced the appearance of deep impurity level in the gap of the alloys. The position of the gallium level in depending on the alloy composition was determined.

Fermi level pinning in Fe-doped PbTe under pressure

We synthesize an iron-doped PbTe single-crystal ingot and investigate the phase and the elemental composition as well as galvanomagnetic properties in weak magnetic fields (4.2 K≤T≤300 K, B ≤ 0.07 T) of Pb1−yFeyTe alloys upon varying the iron content, at atmospheric pressure and under hydrostatic compression up to 10 kilobars. We find an increase of iron concentration along the length of the ingot and the appearance of microscopic inclusions enriched with iron in the heavily doped samples. Lightly doped alloys are characterized by the p-type metal conductivity. An increase of the iron impurity content leads to a decrease in the free hole concentration, a stabilization of galvanomagnetic parameters, indicating the pinning of the Fermi energy by the iron resonant impurity level lying under the bottom of the valence band, and to the p-n inversion of the conductivity type. Under pressure, the free hole concentration in the sample, in which the stabilization of galvanomagnetic parameters takes place, increases...

Detection of highly conductive surface electron states in topological crystalline insulators Pb1−xSnxSe using laser terahertz radiation

We suggest a method for detection of highly conductive surface electron states including topological ones. The method is based on measurements of the photoelectromagnetic effect using terahertz laser pulses. In contrast to conventional transport measurements, the method is not sensitive to the bulk conductivity. The method is demonstrated on an example of topological crystalline insulators Pb1−xSnxSe. It is shown that highly conductive surface electron states are present in Pb1−xSnxSe both in the inverse and direct electron energy spectrum.

Scandium resonant impurity level in PbTe

We synthesize a scandium-doped PbTe single-crystal ingot and investigate the phase and the elemental composition as well as galvanomagnetic properties of Pb1-yScyTe alloys in weak magnetic fields (4.2 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K, B ≤ 0.07 T) upon varying the scandium content (y ≤ 0.02). We find that all investigated samples are single-phase and n-type. The distribution of scandium impurities along the axis of the ingot is estimated to be exponential. An increase of scandium impurity content leads to a monotonous growth of the free electron concentration by four orders of magnitude (approximately from 1016 cm−3 to 1020 cm−3). In heavily doped alloys (y > 0.01), the free electron concentration at the liquid-helium temperature tends to saturation, indicating the pinning of the Fermi energy by the scandium resonant impurity level located on the background of the conduction band. Using the two-band Kane and six-band Dimmock dispersion relations for IV-VI semiconductors, dependences of the Fermi energy measured from the bott...

Metal-insulator transition in chromium-doped Pb1−xGexTe alloys

The electrical properties of chromium-doped n-Pb1−xGexTe alloys (x = 0.02–0.13) have been studied. A decrease in the free-electron concentration and a metal-insulator transition are observed as the germanium content of alloys increases. This is due to the Fermi level pinning by the chromium impurity level and to the flow of electrons from the conduction band to the impurity level. The experimental data obtained are used to calculate, in terms of the two-band Kane dispersion law, the dependences of the electron concentration and Fermi energy on the germanium content in the alloy. The motion rate of the chromium-related level with respect to the conduction band bottom is determined and a model of variation of the electronic structure with the matrix composition is suggested.

Galvanomagnetic properties and electronic structure of iron-doped PbTe

We synthesize an iron-doped PbTe single-crystal ingot and investigate the phase composition and distribution of the iron impurity along the ingot as well as galvanomagnetic properties in weak magnetic fields (4.2 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K, B ≤ 0.07 T) of Pb1−yFeyTe alloys. We find microscopic inclusions enriched with iron and regions with a chemical composition close to FeTe in the heavily doped samples, while the iron impurity content in the main phase rises only slightly along the length of the ingot reaching the impurity solubility limit at approximately 0.6 mol. %. Samples from the initial and the middle parts of the ingot are characterized by p-type metal conductivity. An increase of the iron impurity content leads to a decrease in the free hole concentration and to a stabilization of galvanomagnetic parameters due to the pinning of the Fermi level by the iron resonant impurity level EFe lying under the bottom of the valence band (Ev − EFe ≈ 16 meV). In the samples from the end of the ingot, a p-n inversion of t...

Magnetic Properties of Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors Pb1-xVxTe

The structural and magnetic properties as well as the electron paramagnetic resonance in Pb1-xVxTe (х0.7 at.%) solid solutions have been investigated. It was found that the magnetic field and the temperature dependences of magnetization have a paramagnetic character, connected obviously with the paramagnetic contribution of vanadium impurity isolated ions. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra were measured and the temperature dependence of the g-factor in the temperature range 85-200 K was obtained.

Contribution of Iron Clusters to the Magnetic Properties of Pb 1 – y Fe y Te Alloys

The field dependences of the magnetization (temperatures T = 2.0–70 K, magnetic fields B ≤ 7.5 T) of the samples from a single-crystalline Pb1 – yFeyTe ingot (y = 0.02) grown by the Bridgman method are studied. It is established that the sample magnetization contains several major contributions such as the paramagnetism of iron ions, diamagnetism of the crystal lattice, and the contributions of charge carriers and clusters of iron atoms. The field dependences of the paramagnetic contribution of iron ions and the contribution of clusters of iron atoms are approximated by theoretical dependences based on the Brillouin and Langevin functions, respectively. The average concentrations and magnetic moment of clusters as well as the total magnetic momentum of clusters in the volume unit in the samples upon increasing the impurity concentration along the ingot are determined.

Galvanomagnetic and Magnetic Properties of Pb1-yScyTe

The galvanomagnetic properties in weak magnetic fields (4.2≤T≤300 K, B≤0.07 T) as well as magnetic properties (2≤T≤300 K, B≤9 T) of the single-crystal Pb1-yScyTe (y≤0.02) alloys have been investigated. We find that an increase of Sc impurity content leads to a monotonous growth of the free electron concentration (from 1016 cm-3 to 1020 cm-3). In heavily doped alloys (y>0.01), it tends to saturation, indicating the pinning of the Fermi energy by the scandium resonant level located inside the conduction band. The energy of the level is estimated (ESc≈Ec+280 meV) and the model of electronic structure rearrangement of Pb1-yScyTe alloys with doping is proposed. In the frame of this model, using experimental temperature and magnetic field dependences of magnetization, the concentrations of magnetically active scandium ions are determined and connection of the electronic structure with the magnetic properties of the alloys are discussed.