Charge transfer in liquid semiconductors: The K-Te system

Journal Article · Mon Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.69.1415· OSTI ID:7279650

Fortner, J; Saboungi, M; Enderby, J E ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

The neutron diffraction patterns of molten K{sub {ital x}}Te{sub 1{minus}{ital x}} alloys for {ital x}=0.12 and {ital x}{minus}0.50 demonstrate the persistence of covalently bonded tellurium in the liquid. In the case of liquid K{sub 0.12}Te{sub 0.88}, the measured structure is domianted by the Te-Te contribution, and is remarkably similar to that of pure liquid tellurium. The equiatomic alloy K{sub 0.50}Te{sub 0.50} is shown to contain mostly Te pairs which are identified with Zintl ions, Te{sub 2}{sup 2{minus}}. The presence of these ions explains the semiconducting behavior of these alloys deduced from recent electrical transport measurements.

• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 7279650
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 69:9; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360606* -- Other Materials-- Physical Properties-- (1992-)
665100 -- Nuclear Techniques in Condensed Matter Physics -- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
CHEMICAL BONDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COHERENT SCATTERING
CORRELATIONS
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FLUIDS
LIQUIDS
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POTASSIUM ALLOYS
SCATTERING
TELLURIUM ALLOYS