The photovoltaic effect and the charge transport in LiNbO₃

Abstract

Abstract The charge transport giving rise to the photovoltaic effect is compared with the photoconductivity in the photon energy range from 2.5 eV to 5 eV. The photoconductivity at 2.5 eV is activated with about the same activation energy as the Hall mobility, which was measured for reduced samples between room temperature, where it is 1.1×10−3 cm2/Vs, and 200°C. The dependence on temperature, intensity, and time demonstrates different charge transport mechanisms for the short-circuit photocurrent and for the photoconductivity.