NbC

Optical Properties of Niobium Carbide

F. A. Modine, C. Y. Allison, R. H. French, "Optical and Electrical Properties of Niobium Carbide", Phys. Rev. B, 35, 6, 2573-82 (1987).

Optical and electrical properties of niobium carbide

: C. Y. Allison and F. A. Modine
: Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831

: R. H. French
: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

(Received 20 August 1986)

The optical and electrical properties were measured for single crystals of NbC_x for x=0.98, 0.87, and 0.76, and for one hot-isostatically-pressed sample of NbC_0.88. Specular reflectance was measured between 0.025 and 11 eV, and ellipsometry measurements were made at 1.96 eV. By using the phase obtained from ellipsometry data to correct the Kramers-Kronig analyses of the reflectances, we were able to improve the accuracy of the resulting optical functions. For energies below 6.5 eV, there are differences in the reflectance and optical functions of the samples which are due to differences in x. We interpret the low-energy optical data in terms of intraband transitions, which allows us to calculate the dc conductivity as well as other electronic transport parameters. These parameters agree well with the electrical conductivities and the Hall coefficients obtained by the van der Pauw technique. The higher-energy optical data are interpreted in light of recent electronic-structure calculations, which suggest that most interband transitions occur near the square face of the Brillouin zone.