Discrete Electronic Bands in Semiconductors and Insulators: Potential High-Light-Yield Scintillators
Abstract
Bulk semiconductors and insulators typically have continuous valence and conduction bands. In this paper, we show that valence and conduction bands of a multinary semiconductor or insulator can be split to narrow discrete bands separated by large energy gaps. This unique electronic structure is demonstrated by first-principles calculations in several quaternary elpasolite compounds, i.e., Cs2NaInBr6, Cs2NaBiCl6, and Tl2NaBiCl6. The narrow discrete band structure in these quaternary elpasolites is due to the large electronegativity difference among cations and the large nearest-neighbor distances in cation sublattices. We further use Cs2NaInBr6 as an example to show that the narrow bands can stabilize self-trapped and dopant-bound excitons (in which both the electron and the hole are strongly localized in static positions on adjacent sites) and promote strong exciton emission at room temperature. The discrete band structure should further suppress thermalization of hot carriers and may lead to enhanced impact ionization, which is usually considered inefficient in bulk semiconductors and insulators. Finally, these characteristics can enable efficient room-temperature light emission in low-gap scintillators and may overcome the light-yield bottleneck in current scintillator research.
- Authors:
-
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division. Center for Radiation Detection Materials and Systems
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1185880
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1182797
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725; DEAC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Applied
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 3; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2331-7019
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Citation Formats
Shi, Hongliang, and Du, Mao-Hua. Discrete Electronic Bands in Semiconductors and Insulators: Potential High-Light-Yield Scintillators. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.3.054005.
Shi, Hongliang, & Du, Mao-Hua. Discrete Electronic Bands in Semiconductors and Insulators: Potential High-Light-Yield Scintillators. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.3.054005
Shi, Hongliang, and Du, Mao-Hua. Tue .
"Discrete Electronic Bands in Semiconductors and Insulators: Potential High-Light-Yield Scintillators". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.3.054005. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1185880.
@article{osti_1185880,
title = {Discrete Electronic Bands in Semiconductors and Insulators: Potential High-Light-Yield Scintillators},
author = {Shi, Hongliang and Du, Mao-Hua},
abstractNote = {Bulk semiconductors and insulators typically have continuous valence and conduction bands. In this paper, we show that valence and conduction bands of a multinary semiconductor or insulator can be split to narrow discrete bands separated by large energy gaps. This unique electronic structure is demonstrated by first-principles calculations in several quaternary elpasolite compounds, i.e., Cs2NaInBr6, Cs2NaBiCl6, and Tl2NaBiCl6. The narrow discrete band structure in these quaternary elpasolites is due to the large electronegativity difference among cations and the large nearest-neighbor distances in cation sublattices. We further use Cs2NaInBr6 as an example to show that the narrow bands can stabilize self-trapped and dopant-bound excitons (in which both the electron and the hole are strongly localized in static positions on adjacent sites) and promote strong exciton emission at room temperature. The discrete band structure should further suppress thermalization of hot carriers and may lead to enhanced impact ionization, which is usually considered inefficient in bulk semiconductors and insulators. Finally, these characteristics can enable efficient room-temperature light emission in low-gap scintillators and may overcome the light-yield bottleneck in current scintillator research.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevApplied.3.054005},
journal = {Physical Review Applied},
number = 5,
volume = 3,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue May 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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