Abstract
For the first time phase equilibria and phase diagram of the AgGaS2-SiS2 system were successfully explored by differential thermal and X-ray phase analysis methods. Crystal structure of low-temperature (LT) modification of Ag2Ga2SiS6 (LT-Ag2Ga2SiS6) was studied by X-ray powder method and it belongs to tetragonal space group I-42d, with unit cell parameters a=5.7164(4) angstrom, c=9.8023(7) angstrom, V=320.32(7) angstrom(3). Additional details regarding the crystal structure exploration are available at the web page Fachinformationszentrum Karlsruhe. X-ray photoelectron core-level and valence-band spectra were measured for pristine LT- Ag2Ga2SiS6 crystal surface. In addition, the X-ray photoelectron valence-band spectrum of LT-Ag2Ga2SiS6 was matched on a common energy scale with the X-ray emission S K beta(1,3) and Ga K beta(2) bands, which give information on the energy distribution of the S 3p and Ga 4p states, respectively. The presented X-ray spectroscopy results indicate that the valence S p and Ga p atomic states contribute mainly to the upper and central parts of the valence band of LT-Ag2Ga2SiS6, respectively, with a less significant contribution also to other valence-band regions. Band gap energy was estimated by measuring the quantum energy in the spectral range of the fundamental absorption. We have found that energy gap Eg is equal to 2.35 eV at 300 K. LT-Ag2Ga2SiS6 is a photosensitive material and reveals two spectral maxima on the curve of spectral photoconductivity spectra at lambda(max1) =590 nm and lambda(max2) =860 nm. Additionally, linear electro-optical effect of LT-Ag2Ga2SiS6 for the wavelengths of a cw He-Ne laser at 1150 nm was explored.