Photoacoustic properties of single crystal PbTe(Ni)

Abstract

Single crystals of PbTe(Ni) were investigated by the photoacoustic method. They were produced using the Bridgeman method. These crystals have a sodium chloride cubic lattice and could be cleaved paralel to the plane orientation (200). They were of the n-type. Phase and amplitude photoacoustic spectra were measured using a transmision detection configuration set-up. Photoacoustic (PA) spectra (single and normalized) were numerically analyzed using the Rosencwaig-Gersho model. Thermal diffusivity and some electron-transport parameters were determined. These results were compared with existing results for pure single crystal PbTe. Thermal difusivity of PbTe(Ni) is a bit higher than the thermal difusivity of pure PbTe. This is the consequence of a decreasing concentration of the majority free carriers in the doped alloy.