Pressure-induced insulator-metal transition in electron-irradiated Pb1−x SnxSe (x⩽0.03) alloys

Galvanomagnetic effects (B⩽7 T) in electron-irradiated n-and p-type Pb1−xSnxSe (x⩽0.03) alloys (T≈300 K, E=6 MeV, Φ⩽5.7×1017 cm−2) in the neighborhood of a pressure-induced insulator-metal transition (P⩽18 kbar) are discussed. The field dependences of the Hall coefficient calculated in terms of the two-band model are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data, and the main parameters of the charge carriers in irradiated alloys are determined. It is shown that there is an increase in the hole concentration in the metallic phase under the action of pressure, associated with the motion of the energy bands at point L of the Brillouin zone, and that electrons overflow from the valence band into the band Et1 of resonance states induced by electron irradiation; the parameters of this band are estimated.