Some new properties of the volt-ampere characteristics of bismuth in strong crossed fields
Abstract
For the first time the volt-ampere characteristics of bismuth have been studied in electric fields of up to 350 V/cm. The magnetic field range is 20–190 kOe, and the experiments are conducted at liquid-helium and hydrogen temperatures. It is observed that under certain conditions the volt-ampere characteristics have two portions with a negative differential conductivity. In the postcritical region of E it is found that the differential and absolute resistances have a nonmonotonic dependence on the magnetic field. It is shown that the transition to the phonon generation regime is not uniquely determined by the drift velocity of the charge carriers and that the critical value of the electric field depends on the temperature and magnetic field.