Auger Recombination via Defects in Tellurium

Auger process including a bound electron and two free holes proved to be the dominant recombination path in tellurium at low temperatures (T < 50 K). The experimental value of the Auger constant is C = 1.6 × 10−28 cm6 s−1. The theoretical model considering the tellurium band structure explains the experimental data qualitatively and gives an order of magnitude value for the lifetimes of excess carriers. [Russian Text Ignored].