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Topological crystalline insulators form a class of semiconductors for which surface electron states with the Dirac dispersion relation are formed on surfaces with a certain crystallographic orientation. Pb1−xSnxTe alloys belong to the topological crystalline phase when the SnTe content x exceeds 0.35, while they are in the trivial phase at x < 0.35. For the surface crystallographic orientation (111), the appearance of topologically nontrivial surface states is expected. We studied the photoelectromagnetic (PEM) effect induced by laser terahertz radiation in Pb1−xSnxTe films in the composition range x = (0.11–0.44), with the (111) surface crystallographic orientation. It was found that in the trivial phase, the amplitude of the PEM effect is determined by the power of the incident radiation, while in the topological phase, the amplitude is proportional to the flux of laser radiation quanta. A possible mechanism responsible for the effect observed presumes damping of the thermalization rate of photoexcited electrons in the topological phase and, consequently, prevailing of electron diffusion, compared with energy relaxation.

In this paper, we show that electron states formed in topological insulators at the interfaces topological phase–trivial phase and topological phase–vacuum may possess different properties. This is demonstrated on an example of heterostructures based on thick topological Hg1−xCdxTe films, in which the PT-symmetric terahertz photoconductivity is observed. It is shown that the effect originates from features of the interface topological film–trivial buffer/cap layer. The PT-symmetric terahertz photoconductivity is not provided by electron states formed at the interface topological film–vacuum.

We show that the terahertz (THz) photoconductivity in the topological phase of Hg1–xCdxTe-based structures exhibits the apparent PT- (parity-time) symmetry whereas the P-symmetry and the T-symmetry, separately, are not conserved. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the P- and T-symmetry breaking may not be related to any type of the sample anisotropy. This result contradicts the apparent symmetry arguments and means that there exists an external factor that interacts with the sample electronic system and breaks the symmetry. We show that deviations from the ideal experimental geometry may not be such a factor.

Terahertz photoconductivity in heterostructures based on n-type Hg1−xCdxTe epitaxial films both in the topological phase (x < 0.16, inverted band structure, zero band gap) and the trivial state (x > 0.16, normal band structure) has been studied. We show that both the positive photoresponse in films with x < 0.16 and the negative photoconductivity in samples with x > 0.16 have no low-energy threshold. The observed non-threshold positive photoconductivity is discussed in terms of a qualitative model that takes into account a 3D potential well and 2D topological Dirac states coexisting in a smooth topological heterojunction.

We show that the terahertz (THz) photoconductivity in the topological phase of Hg1–xCdxTe-based structures exhibits the apparent PT- (parity-time) symmetry whereas the P-symmetry and the T-symmetry, separately, are not conserved. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the P- and T-symmetry breaking may not be related to any type of the sample anisotropy. This result contradicts the apparent symmetry arguments and means that there exists an external factor that interacts with the sample electronic system and breaks the symmetry. We show that deviations from the ideal experimental geometry may not be such a factor.

The T-x phase diagram along the PbTe-VTe2 join of the Pb-V-Te system has been studied. Vanadium-doped lead telluride crystals have been grown, and the longitudinal vanadium and carrier profiles in the crystals have been investigated. The temperature dependences of resistivity for the crystals lend support to the conclusion drawn earlier that PbTe〈V〉 is in a semi-insulating state at low temperatures. The crystals offer a high 20-K electron mobility, on the order of 105 cm2/(V s), which attests to high electrical homogeneity of the material and stabilization of the Fermi level.

We have studied a portion of the ternary system Pb-V-Te. Pseudobinary joins have been identified, the vanadium solubility along the V3Te4-PbTe join has been determined, and the lattice parameter of the solid solution has been measured as a function of vanadium content at 800 and 870°C. Six PbTe〈V〉 crystals have been grown by the Bridgman method, and their microstructure and transport properties have been investigated. The results indicate that vanadium in PbTe is not a simple donor: its effect depends on those growth conditions that determine the degree of compensation of the donor effect of vanadium and native defects. PbTe〈V〉 samples have been found to pass into a high-resistivity state on cooling and to be photosensitive. The depth of the vanadium donor level in the band gap of lead telluride has been evaluated.