PHOTORESPONSE OF CDXHG1-XTE CRYSTALS DUE TO COMPOSITION INHOMOGENEITIES

It is shown that when CdxHg1-xTe crystals are irradiated with light wi th photon energy less than the band gap, photoconductivity due to gene ration of electron-hole pairs on inhomogeneities with a lower value of x is possible. The inhomogeneities are modeled in the form of a clust er network of small-angle boundaries of blocks with a high rate of rec ombination of nonequilibrium charge carriers. The magnitude of the pho toresponse (<(Delta p)over bar>) versus the size (r(c)) of the cluster network is estimated. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.