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Persistent photoconductivity in strontium titanate.

Marianne C Tarun¹, Farida A Selim, Matthew D McCluskey

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2814, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|November 19, 2013

Summary

Persistent photoconductivity in strontium titanate (SrTiO3) single crystals was observed. Sub-bandgap light exposure significantly boosts free-electron concentration, which persists for days due to low electron recapture rates from titanium vacancy defects.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Solid State Physics
Semiconductor Physics

Background:

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is a well-studied perovskite oxide with unique electronic properties.
Persistent photoconductivity (PPC) is a phenomenon where conductivity remains elevated after light exposure ceases.
Understanding the mechanisms behind PPC in SrTiO3 is crucial for potential applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the phenomenon of persistent photoconductivity in strontium titanate single crystals.
To determine the underlying defect mechanism responsible for the observed long-lasting conductivity.
To characterize the behavior of free-electron concentration under specific light conditions.

Main Methods:

Observation of persistent photoconductivity in SrTiO3 single crystals at room temperature.

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Exposure to sub-bandgap light (2.9 eV or higher) to induce photoconductivity.

Positron lifetime measurements to probe defect structures.

Analysis of free-electron concentration changes.

Main Results:

A significant increase (over 2 orders of magnitude) in free-electron concentration was observed upon illumination.
The enhanced conductivity persisted for several days with minimal decay after light removal.
Positron lifetime measurements indicated that titanium vacancy defects are involved in the PPC effect.

Conclusions:

Persistent photoconductivity in SrTiO3 is attributed to the excitation of electrons from titanium vacancy defects.
A very low electron recapture rate from these defects explains the long persistence of conductivity.
This finding offers insights into defect engineering for controlling electronic properties in SrTiO3.