Pressure-induced superconductivity and phase transition in PbSe and PbTe

The IV–VI semiconducting chalcogenides are a large material family with distinct physical behavior. Here, we systematically investigate the effect of pressure on the electronic and crystal structures of PbSe and PbTe by combining high-pressure electrical transport and synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The resistivity of PbSe and PbTe changes dramatically under high pressure and a non-monotonic evolution of ρ(T) is observed. Both PbSe and PbTe are found to undergo semiconductor–metal transition upon compression and show superconductivity under higher pressure. The structural evolutions from the $Fm\overline{3}m$ to Pnma phase and then to the $Pm\overline{3}m$ phase in PbSe are verified by the x-ray diffraction. The present findings reveal the internal correlation between the structural evolution and the physical properties in lead chalcogenides.