Deep defect states in diluted magnetic semiconductors Pb1-xSnxTe:Yb

Abstract

The galvanomagnetic effects in new diluted magnetic semiconductors Pb $_{1-x}$ Sn x Te:Yb were studied to build the energy level diagram under variation of the alloy composition and establish the connection between the parameters of electronic structure and magnetic properties. It was found that the Hall coefficient increases almost by order of magnitude with increasing the temperature. As tin content decreases, while the ytterbium concentration grows, the hole concentration decreases by several times. The results are explained by assuming a formation of an ytterbium-induced deep defect level in the energy spectrum of the alloys, which moves up to the top of the valence band with increasing the ytterbium concentration and pins the Fermi level within the valence band at sufficiently high impurity content. The hole concentration vs. ytterbium content dependence was used to calculate the energy position of the Fermi level in the frame of two-band dispersion law and to determine the position of Yb level in the alloys. The diagram of the charge carrier energy spectrum under varying the alloy composition was built.