Temperature Dependence of the Energy Gap of Semiconductors in the Low-Temperature Limit

Manuel Cardona, T. A. Meyer, and M. L. W. Thewalt
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 196403 – Published 14 May 2004

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the electronic states and energy gaps of semiconductors is an old but still important experimental and theoretical topic. Remarkably, extant results do not clarify the asymptotic T0 behavior. Recent breakthroughs in the spectroscopy of enriched Si28 allow us to measure changes in the band gap over the liquid He4 temperature range with an astounding precision of one part in 108, revealing a T4.0±0.2 decrease with increasing T. This is in excellent agreement with a theoretical argument predicting an exponent of 4. This power law should apply, in the low temperature limit, to the temperature dependence of the energies of all electronic states in semiconductors and insulators.

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  • Received 8 December 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.196403

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Manuel Cardona*

  • Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

T. A. Meyer and M. L. W. Thewalt

  • Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6

  • *Electronic address: m.cardona@fkf.mpg.de

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Vol. 92, Iss. 19 — 14 May 2004

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