Emf induced by a change in the samarium ion valence as a result of a phase transition in SmS single crystals

Abstract

The mechanism of the emf appearing in a semiconductor under heating in the absence of external temperature gradients, an effect revealed by the present authors, is considered. The experiments were performed on samarium sulfide (SmS) single crystals. It is shown that the emf is generated by an abrupt change in the samarium ion valence, which results from the ion screening by the electrons activated into the conduction band. We succeeded in obtaining emf pulses 1.3 s long with an amplitude of up to 2.5 V at T ∼ 460 K, as well as CW emf generation within the 375-to 405-K temperature interval with a maximum value of ∼50 mV.