Electrical and thermoelectric properties of semiconducting Bi1-xSbx nanowires

Abstract

In this paper we shall present the results obtained with measurements of transport effects in semiconducting Bi1-xSbx single crystal wires in glass cover, prepared by liquid phase casting, using the improved Ulitovsky method. The measurement included the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient as functions of temperature, magnetic field and diameter wires. The wires diameters ranging from 100 nm to 1000 nm. The data were taken between 1.5- 300 K in magnetic field up to 15 T. The temperature dependences resistance R(T) and thermopower show the significant dependences on the wire diameters in low temperature region. We observed the quantum oscillations only in thin Bi-17at%Sb wires in longitudinal and transverse directions. In the thin (200 nm) Bi-17%Sb wires a sharp deviation from exponential temperature behavior resistance R(T) characteristic of bulk semiconductor is observed. The results are discussed in the context of the state the topological insulator and the influence of the surface state on the electronic properties of semiconducting Bi1-xSbx nanowires.