SMALL MOBILE CHARGE-CARRIERS IN CUO

In order to clarify the nature of conduction in a quantum antiferromag netic CuO semiconductor being the background for high temperature supe rconductors, the following kinetic and optical properties are studied: the static and frequency-dependent conductivity at 10(4) - 10(7) Hz a nd 9.2 GHz, thermo-power, Hall effect, magnetoresistivity, absorption and reflection coefficients, light conductivity in the IR spectrum ran ge, V-I characteristics and their first derivatives of the microcontac t tungsten/CuO structure. The 80-400 K temperature range of measuremen ts includes both the CuO antiferromagnetism region and the quantum spi n liquid region of T > T(N) = 230 K. For T(N), there is observed a sig nificant variation of the conductivity activation energy. The results demonstrate strong localization of charge carriers (holes in CuO) and can be well described within the model of local charge carriers with l ow mobility like small polarons. The possible role of the electron-mag non coupling in addition to the electron-phonon mechanism accompanying localization of charge carriers is discussed.