Auger recombination in PbTe

Abstract

The carrier lifetime τ in PbTe was determined by measuring the decay time of the photoconductivity. The experimental values of τ are compared with a theory for Auger recombination recently presented by Emtage. It has been shown by this author that Auger recombination in semiconductors with a many-valley band structure such as that of PbTe comes principally from the collision of carriers in different valleys of one band. The qualitative fit of experimental and theoretical data shows that Auger recombination is, in fact, an important recombination mechanism in PbTe. This may have a considerable influence on the effectivity of infrared luminescence devices.