CdSe
cadmium selenide · cadmoselite
Cadmium selenide is a stable semiconducting compound widely used in high-performance optoelectronic and light-sensing technologies.
About cadmium selenide
Cadmium selenide is a prominent member of the II-VI semiconductor family, characterized by its reliable semiconducting nature and thermodynamic stability. As a material that sits firmly on the convex hull, it represents a highly stable configuration, making it a cornerstone for fundamental research and industrial development in photonics.
Due to its extensive structural data, this compound is one of the most well-characterized materials in its class. It is widely utilized in the development of light-emitting diodes, photovoltaic cells, and biological imaging probes, where its electronic behavior provides precise control over light-matter interactions.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for cadmium selenide, aggregated across 5 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of CdSe. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for CdSe, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P63mc (No. 186) | hexagonal | 0.57 | 0.0000 | -3.066 | 5.48 |
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 0.51 | 0.0006 | -3.065 | 5.49 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.1458 | -2.920 | 6.69 |
| Cmc21 (No. 36) | Orthorhombic | — | — | — | 4.71 |
| F-43m (No. 216) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P63mc (No. 186) | Hexagonal | — | — | — | 5.54 |
| Cmc21 (No. 36) | Orthorhombic | — | — | — | 6.86 |
| Pm (No. 6) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 5.70 |
| P63mc (No. 186) | Hexagonal | — | — | — | 5.30 |
| C2/m (No. 12) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 6.71 |
| P21/m (No. 11) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 5.44 |
Applications
Where cadmium selenide is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about cadmium selenide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is CdSe?
Cadmium selenide is a stable semiconducting compound widely used in high-performance optoelectronic and light-sensing technologies.
What is CdSe used for?
What is the band gap of CdSe?
Is CdSe a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is CdSe thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of CdSe?
What is the density of CdSe?
How many polymorphs of CdSe are known?
What elements does CdSe contain?
Where does the data for CdSe come from?
How It Compares
Within the ii-vi semiconductors class.
Within the II-VI semiconductor family, CdSe occupies a central position alongside CdS and CdTe. While it shares the characteristic semiconducting behavior of its siblings, CdSe is distinguished by its exceptional structural diversity and stability, often serving as a primary reference point when comparing the optoelectronic performance of cadmium-based chalcogenides.
Related Compounds
Other II-VI Semiconductors in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
- nomad — Data from NOMAD. Cite: Draxl & Scheffler, J. Phys. Mater. 2, 036001 (2019).
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