Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 1910.14661

Photo-thermoelectric properties and their use in study of transport properties of both carriers from a single bulk sample

Zhenyu Pan·Zheng Zhu·Jeffrey J. Urban·Fan Yang·Heng Wang
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We describe a theory on photo-thermoelectric properties of a semiconductor, which include photo-conductivity, photo-Seebeck coefficient, and photo-Hall effect. We demonstrate that these properties provide a powerful tool for the study of carrier transport in semiconductors. Even though photo-carrier generation is a complicated process which often prohibits quantitative analysis as their species or numbers are not known. Using bulk samples seems even less likely as the photo-carrier only affect a thin layer. Our method will allow researchers to bypass these difficulties, to use only measured properties and determine both electron and hole mobilities as well as the ratio between electrons and holes from a bulk sample. We provide initial experiment verification of our theory in the end using two distinctively different semiconductors.

Explore related subjects

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Zhenyu Pan, Zheng Zhu, Jeffrey J. Urban, Fan Yang, Heng Wang. 2019-10-31. Photo-thermoelectric properties and their use in study of transport properties of both carriers from a single bulk sample. https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.14661

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

GRAINSMITH: A Generator of Polycrystalline Models for Atomistic Simulations with Statistical and Grain-Boundary Morphology Control

Atomistic studies of grain-boundary engineering, grain-size effects and dopant enrichment require reproducible models with prescribed microstructural features. We present GRAINSMITH, an open-source Python package for generating statistically controlled polycrystalline models with selectable grain-boundary morphologies for molecular dynamics and subsequent relaxation. Within supported feature combinations, a single configuration specifies grain-size and volume distributions, crystallographic texture, boundary-area-weighted disorientation-angle distributions, phase composition and grain-boundary dopant placement. Crystal construction supports 230 crystallographic space groups. Periodic Voronoi and volume-targeted Laguerre tessellations provide planar boundaries, while distinct geometry backends generate smoothly curved and band-limited self-affine boundaries. A registry of twenty-six checks assesses applicable inputs, construction properties and outputs. Each run exports LAMMPS data and Extended XYZ files together with structural and statistical descriptors and machine-readable provenance. For a fixed software version and computational environment, the configuration and random seed determine byte-reproducible atomic configurations and scientific data across supported worker counts. By combining statistical specification, boundary-morphology control and reproducible atomistic output, GRAINSMITH supports systematic studies of microstructural effects and quantitative comparisons across generated models.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2026

Structure and dynamics of the negative thermal expansion material Cd(CN)$_2$ under hydrostatic pressure

We use a combination of variable-temperature / variable-pressure neutron powder diffraction, variable-pressure inelastic neutron scattering, and quantum chemical calculations to interrogate the behaviour of the negative thermal expansion (NTE) material $^{114}$Cd(CN)$_2$ under hydrostatic pressure. We determine the equation of state of the ambient-pressure phase, and discover the so-called `warm hardening' effect whereby the material becomes elastically stiffer as it is heated. We also identify a number of high-pressure phases, and map out the phase behaviour of Cd(CN)$_2$ over the range $0\leq p\leq0.5$\,GPa, $100\leq T\leq300$\,K. As expected for an NTE material, the low-energy phonon frequencies are found to soften under pressure, and we determine an effective Gr{ü}neisen parameter for these modes. Finally, we show that the elastic behaviour of Cd(CN)$_2$ is sensitive to the local Cd coordination environment, which suggests an interplay between short- (phononic) and long-timescale (cyanide flips) fluctuations in Cd(CN)$_2$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2026

Unconventional Magnetism, Sliding Ferroelectricity, and Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect in Multiferroic Bilayers

Antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials provide a platform to couple altermagnetic (AM) spin-splitting with the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE), offering potential for next-generation quantum technologies. In this work, first-principles calculations, symmetry analysis, and kp modeling are employed to show that interlayer sliding in AFM multiferroic bilayers enables control of electronic, magnetic, and magneto-optical properties. This study reveals an intriguing dimension-driven AM crossover: the 2D paraelectric (PE) bilayer exhibits spin-degenerate bands protected by the [C2||Mc] spin-space symmetry, whereas the 3D counterpart manifests AM spin-splitting along kz \neq 0 paths. Furthermore, interlayer sliding breaks this Mc symmetry and stabilizes a ferroelectric (FE) state with compensated ferrimagnetism, where the Zeeman-like field is responsible for the nonrelativistic spin-splitting. In the FE phase, spin-orbit coupling (SOC) lifts accidental degeneracies and produces `alternating' spin-polarized bands through the interplay of Zeeman and Rashba effects. Crucially, spin polarization, ferrovalley polarization, and the Kerr angle can all be reversed by switching either sliding ferroelectricity or the Neel vector. Our findings reveal the rich coupling among electronic, magnetic, and optical orders in sliding multiferroics, illustrating new prospects for ultralow-power spintronic and optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗