THE ELECTRONIC-PROPERTIES OF LIQUID AG1-XSEX

Measurements of the electrical conductivity sigma, thermoelectric powe r S and magnetic susceptibility of liquid Ag1-xSex alloys have been me asured as a function of composition and temperature. The unusual maxim um in sigma, along with the negative dsigma/dT observed around stoichi ometry for Ag-S alloys is also observed in this system. The thermopowe r shows a p-n transition at x = 0.36 with a magnitude indicating that this is a liquid semiconductor with an essentially zero energy gap. It is demonstrated that the results cannot be explained using the Kubo-G reenwood expressions for sigma and S if rigid band behaviour is assume d. The origins of this unusual behaviour are discussed in terms of an enhanced carrier mobility near the stoichiometric composition.