Band-Overlap Metallization of BaTe

Abstract

Energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction studies have been made on BaTe to 410 kbar. It undergoes a first-order phase transition from the sodium chloride structure to the cesium chloride structure at 48 kbar. $P(V)$ data were obtained over the entire range. Optical studies indicated by extrapolation that metallization will occur for $\frac{V}{{V}_{0}}\ensuremath{\sim}0.65$ while resistivity studies show directly that band-overlap metallization occurs at $\frac{V}{{V}_{0}}=0.65$ and $P=200$ kbar. The resistivity of the semimetallic phase is 600 \ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\Omega} cm at 300 K; the resistivity of the semimetallic phase varies linearly with temperature between 200 and 300 K.