The temperature dependence of the hall effect in cadmium

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the two independent components of the Hall tensor, R∥ and R ₁, have been determined for single crystals of cadmium using a d.c. technique in the temperature range 297°–520°K. Both components decrease with increasing temperature, and the results are consistent with earlier room-temperature determinations on single crystals, and with information obtained using polycrystals. The results are discussed in terms of current theories of low-field Hall effect, and it is concluded that, although temperature-dependent anisotropic electron–phonon relaxations may be important, it is more likely that the effect is dominated by a temperature dependent carrier concentration arising from changing Fermi surface Brillouin zone wall interactions, which are also reflected in the temperature dependence of the axial ratio.