The microwave Faraday effect in p-type tellurium

Abstract

Measurements of the Faraday rotation and ellipticity at a microwave frequency of 33 GHz in samples of p-type tellurium are reported. Two different geometries are investigated. The transverse mobility, relaxation time and transport effective mass are determined with the magnetic induction B parallel to the trigonal c axis. The anisotropy of these parameters is deduced from data obtained with B perpendicular to c. Furthermore, the dependence of the rotation and ellipticity on sample thickness and on the lattice temperature was studied experimentally between 77K and 180K. From these results the temperature dependences of the mobility, the relaxation time, and of the effective mass and their anisotropy are derived. Possible explanations for the strong increase of the transport effective mass with temperature concerning the peculiarities of the valence-band structure of tellurium are discussed.