Giant red shift of the absorption spectra due to nonstoichiometry in GdCoO3-δ
S. G. Ovchinnikov+*, Yu. S. Orlov+*, A. A. Kuzubov+, V. A. Dudnikov+, A. E. Sokolov+, V. N. Zabluda+, S. B. Naumov°, N. P. Shestakov+
+Kirensky Institute of Physics SB of the RAS, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
*Siberian Federal University, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
°Siberian State Technological University, 660049 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Abstract
The GdCoO3-δ perovskite is a semiconductor with the
energy gap eV from electrical transport measurements. It
reveals unusual optical absorption spectra without transparency window
expected for semiconductors. Instead we have measured the narrow
transmittance peak at the photon energy eV. To
reconcile the transport and optical data we have studied the effect of oxygen
vacancies on the electronic structure of the GdCoO3-δ. We have
found that oxygen vacancies result in the in-gap states inside the charge-
transfer energy gap of the GdCoO3. It is a multielectron effect due to
strong electron correlations forming the electronic structure of the
GdCoO3-δ. These in-gap states decrease the transparency window and
result in a narrow absorption minimum. Predicted temperature dependence of
the absorption spectra has been confirmed by our measurements.