Pressure-induced reversible metallization and phase transition in Zinc Telluride

Abstract

The crystalline and electronic structural properties of Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) are investigated systematically up to [Formula: see text]25 GPa using a diamond anvil cell (DAC) in conjunction with a series of advanced optical and electrical testing methods at both non-hydrostatic and hydrostatic conditions. Based on Raman spectroscopy and AC impedance spectroscopy, ZnTe undergoes two phase transitions from initial zinc-blende phase to cinnabar phase at 7–9 GPa, then it transforms to Cmcm phase at 11–13 GPa under the non-hydrostatic condition. Meantime, the semiconductor to metal phase transition is verified by the temperature-dependent conductivity measurements. In these studies, the pressure points of phase transition and metallization of ZnTe are approximately same under the hydrostatic condition. The feeble influence of non-hydrostatic and hydrostatic conditions on the phase transition and metallization of ZnTe can be reasonably explained by its own crystalline structure from atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.