Long wavelength photoeffects in mercury selenide, mercury telluride, and mercury telluride-cadmium telluride

Abstract Mercury selenide, mercury telluride, and mercury telluride-cadmium telluride are semiconductors which have been investigated as intrinsic infrared detecting materials. Mercury selenide and mercury telluride in the photoelectromagnetic-Nernst configuration exhibit spectral and frequency responses indicative of thermal rather than photon behavior. The signal is believed due to the Nernst thermal effect rather than the PEM photon effect. Mercury telluride-cadmium telluride exhibits photoconductivity at 77 °K and 4.2°K with a spectral response extending past 15 μ.