Electronic Properties of Titanium Monoxide

Abstract

Electric, magnetic, and optical properties of the rocksalt form of titanium monoxide (TiO0.80 to TiO1.25) have been studied. TiO is metallic, exhibiting weak paramagnetism. Properties of TiO-phase samples are determined primarily by the relative concentration of titanium and oxygen atoms and to a lesser extent by sample preparation. The resistivity of TiO1 can be represented as the sum of an extremely large residual resistivity and a temperature-dependent part having positive slope. Although off-stoichiometric samples exhibit resistivity vs temperature variation not typical of metals, the entire phase can be characterized as metallic. Specular reflectance data suggest that the yellow color of TiO-phase samples is due to a plasma edge relaxation in the yellow region of the visible spectrum.