Pressure induced semiconductor-metal transition in polycrystalline β-Ag0.33V2O5

Abstract The pressure-dependent electronic properties of polycrystalline β-Ag0.33V2O5 were investigated and a discontinuous change of electrical resistance is found at around 4.5 GPa, where semiconductive-like decreasing trend before 4.5 GPa and a metallic-like increasing trend after 4.5 GPa with increasing temperature was observed. Furthermore, high temperature/pressure treatment can markedly reduce the semiconductor-metal (S-M) transition pressure to around 1.5 GPa. The results indicate a promising way for engineering the electronic properties of polycrystalline Ag0.33V2O5, and this pressure/temperature induced semiconductor-metal switch may have potential applications in electronics field.