Superconductor-insulator transition in (PbzSn1−z)0.84In0.16Te

The superconductor-insulator transition that occurs at liquid helium temperatures in the (Pb_zSn_1−z )_0.84In_0.16Te semiconductor system with varying lead concentration z = 0.5–0.9 is experimentally investigated. The transition is attributed to the change in the energy characteristics of In impurity centers due to the variation in the amount of lead. The insulator state appears with the transition from the mixed band-impurity conduction, which is characterized by resonant scattering of carriers into the quasilocal indium impurity states, to the hopping conduction between indium impurity states. The sample with z = 0.8 is found to exhibit a variable range hopping conduction described by Mott’s law. Factors that lead to the hopping conduction via impurity states are considered.