In Praise and in Search of Highly-Polarizable Semiconductors

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of chalcogenide semiconductors with complex crystal structures to exhibit high dielectric polarizability, aiming to expand the range of materials for advanced electronic and photonic applications.

Contribution

It hypothesizes that chalcogenides with complex structures similar to oxides can be highly polarizable, providing a new direction for discovering advanced semiconductor materials.

Findings

Identification of chemical trends linking structure and dielectric response

Proposal of chalcogenides as candidates for highly-polarizable semiconductors

Potential applications in photonics and high-frequency electronics

Abstract

The dielectric response of materials underpins electronics and photonics. Established semiconductor materials have a narrow range of dielectric susceptibility, with low-frequency values on the order of 10. Strong and variable dielectric response in wide-band gap materials is associated with complex crystal structures and heavier elements. Based on underlying chemical trends, we hypothesize that chalcogenides in crystal structures common to complex oxides may feature many highly-polarizable semiconductors. Research on these materials is motivated by fundamental inquiry into electrons and phonons in solids, and by potential applications in photonics, high-frequency communications, and photovoltaics.