On the ferroelectricity in ZnxCd1−xTe

Spontaneous polarization and their reversibility in Zn 0.04 cd 0.96 Te has been investigated in temperature range from 85 K to 380 K. We show that truly compensated hysteresis loops can be observed with good ohmic contacts and only at low temperature, where conductivity is 2 to 3 orders smaller than at room temperature. No true hysteresis loops were observed in pure CdTe in the temperature range studied. The values of spontaneous polarization and coercive field are equal to 0.60 μC/cm 2 and 4.2 kV/cm respectively at 85 K. In our opinion, this is the first proper evidence of polarization switching in pseudobinary A x B 1−x C semiconducting ferroelectrics