Electron Mobility and Luminescence Efficiency in Cadmium Sulfide

Abstract

The mobility of the photoelectrons produced in cadmium sulfide by pulsed ultraviolet and x-ray excitation has been determined through measurements of the incident radiation, the luminescence radiation, and the initial rates of rise and decay of the photocurrent. The mobility value as well as the efficiencies of the excitation and radiative recombination processes for the two types of excitation are obtained directly from these measurements by means of a general analysis which is independent of the details of the photoelectric mechanism. The following approximate numerical results are obtained: The electron mobility is 30 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/voltsec. Two percent of the conduction electrons radiate red light quanta upon recombining. Each 0.5A x-ray quantum produces about 2000 conduction electrons.