Synthesis and characterization of semimagnetic semiconductor Pb1−xSmxSe

The microstructure, crystal structure, electrical conductivity (σ), and thermoelectric power (TEP) of Pb1−xSmxSe (x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09 at.%) are investigated. Pb1−xSmxSe crystallizes in a single-phase rock salt structure. The electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient (S) of the system Pb1−xSmxSe were measured in the ambient temperature range 100 ≤ T ≤ 450 K. The temperature dependence of both σ and S shows metal-insulator transition (MIT) at Tm, which depends on the composition itself. The TEP measurements verified the domination of n-type semiconducting behavior. We also find that the power factor S2σ reaches a maximum value.