Nonequilibrium paramagnetic susceptibility of gallium impurity centers in lead telluride

The temperature dependences of the resistance and magnetic susceptibility are studied in gallium-doped lead telluride, which is characterized by a delayed photoconductivity effect, under various illumination conditions. After a sample is illuminated at low temperatures, the magnetic susceptibility is diamagnetic in the region of metallic delayed conductivity (for T < 50 K). In the region of thermodynamic equilibrium (T > 70 K), where conductivity is activational, the magnetic susceptibility is likewise diamagnetic and essentially equals the low-temperature value. A paramagnetic susceptibility peak is observed in the transitional region (T similar to 50-70 K), where the conductivity is of a nonequilibrium character but the carriers are still nondegenerate. This peak increases in magnitude with the rate of measurements in the indicated temperature range. In addition, a paramagnetic variation of the susceptibility following the Curie law is observed with uncontrollable (weak) illumination from the cryostat cap at low temperatures (T < 25 K). The interpretation of the observed dependences is based on notions of variable valence of gallium in lead telluride, while the appearance of a paramagnetic susceptibility peak is attributed to the presence of shallow localized levels of gallium in a trivalent state. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7761(98)02311-7].