Specific features of conductivity of γ-irradiated TlGaTe2 crystals with nanochain structure

Abstract

Temperature dependences of electrical conductivity σ(T) and current-voltage characteristics of one-dimensional TlGaTe2 single crystals subjected to various doses of γ-ray radiation in both geometries of the experiment-along nanochains parallel to the tetragonal axis of the crystal (σ|) and perpendicular to these nanochains (σ⊥)-are studied. It is shown that the dependence σ(T) measured in the ohmic region of the current-voltage characteristic is the shape typical of the hopping mechanism and can be described in terms of the Mott approximation. The values of the densities of localized states NF, the activation energy Ea, the hop lengths R, the difference between the energies of states ΔE in the vicinity of the Fermi level, and the concentrations of deep traps Nt are determined. The current-voltage characteristics in the region of a more abrupt increase in the current are also studied. It is shown that this region of current-voltage characteristics is described in the context of the Pool-Frenkel thermal-field effect. Concentrations of ionized centers Nf, the free-path lengths λ, the Frenkel coefficients β, and the shape of the potential well in initial and irradiated (with 250 Mrad) TlGaTe2 crystals are determined. It is shown that anisotropy of electrical conductivity changes under the effect of irradiation, which brings about translational ordering of nanochains.