Development and photoelectric properties of In/p-Ag3AsS3 surface-barrier structures

Homogeneous p-Ag3AsS3 bulk single crystals with rhombic structure have been grown by planar crystallization from melts with atomic composition corresponding to this ternary compound. Photosensitive surface-barrier structures based on the interface between the surface of these crystals and thin films of pure indium are fabricated for the first time. The photosensitivity of fabricated structures is studied in natural and linearly polarized light. Photosensitivity spectra of In/p-Ag3AsS3 structures are measured for the first time and used to determine the nature and energy of interband transitions in p-Ag3AsS3 crystals. The phenomenon of natural photopleochroism is studied for surface-barrier structures grown on oriented p-Ag3AsS3 single crystals. It is concluded that Ag3AsS3 single crystals can be used in photoconverters of natural and linearly polarized light.