Influence of gamma radiation on magnetoelectrical properties of Bi0.85Sb0.15 solid solution doped with lead acceptor impurity

The influence of gamma radiation on the magnetoelectric properties of extruded samples of Bi_0.85Sb_0.15 <Pb_x> (0.001 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) solid solutions doped with lead at ~ 77–300 K and magnetic field induction of up to 1.0 Tl is studied. It is found out that at low doses of gamma irradiation of the Bi_0.85Sb_0.15 <Pb> solid solution, the simplest defects of individual interstitial atoms and individual vacancies are formed, leading to an increase in the concentration of free electrons n and electrical conductivity σ and a decrease in the thermopower coefficient α and R_H. It is shown that a higher irradiation dose in the course of subsequent restructuring during irradiation can cause the formation of complex defects, i.e. point defect clusters, thus decreasing the concentration of current carriers and giving rise to the changes in σ, α and R_H.