Publication Date:
2016-06-28
Description:
Binary transition metal chalcogenides have attracted increasing attention for their unique structural and electronic properties. High pressure is a powerful tool for tuning the lattice and electronic structure of transition metal chalcogenides away from their pristine states. In this work, we systematically studied the in situ structural and optical behavior of silver sulfide (Ag 2 S) under pressure by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy measurements in a diamond anvil cell. Upon compression, Ag 2 S undergoes structural symmetrization accompanied by a series of structural transitions while the crystallographic inequivalence of the two Ag sites is maintained. Electronically, pressure effectively tunes the ambient semiconducting Ag 2 S into a metal at ∼22 GPa. Drude model analysis shows that the optical conductivity evolves significantly, reaching the highest value of 100 Ω −1 cm −1 at ∼40 GPa. Our results highlight the structural and electronic tunability of silver chalcogenides as a function of pressure and suggest the potential of Ag 2 S as a platform for developing optical and opto-electronic applications.
Print ISSN:
0003-6951
Electronic ISSN:
1077-3118
Topics:
Physics
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