Electron scattering in compensated bismuth

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Abstract
Measurements on the low-temperature variation of the thermopower and thermal and electrical conductivities of pure bismuth and bismuth doped with an equal amount of tin and tellurium are compared. The counterdoped sample behaves as a compensated semimetal combining pronounced impurity scattering together with a Fermi-level characteristic of intrinsic material. If a rigid-band model and the validity of Matthiessen's rule are assumed, the resistivity variation with temperature indicates that the combined effect of the tin and tellurium addition is that of neutral impurity scatterers. The diffusion thermopower is not inconsistent with this observation. The low-temperature phonon-drag hump is negative contrary to pure bismuth which exhibits a positive hump. The lattice thermal conductivity around the maximum is considerably reduced as compared to pure bismuth and the difference persists at higher temperatures.

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