HgTe
Mercury telluride · Coloradoite
Mercury telluride is a stable semiconducting material primarily utilized in the manufacturing of high-performance infrared detectors and optoelectronic sensors.
About Mercury telluride
Mercury telluride is a stable binary semiconductor composed of mercury and tellurium. As a member of the chalcogenide family, it is recognized for its unique electronic properties and its position on the thermodynamic convex hull, indicating significant structural stability. Its robust nature makes it a foundational material for specialized electronic applications.
Due to its distinct electronic character, this compound is highly valued in the development of infrared sensors and detectors. Its ability to facilitate specific charge carrier behaviors allows it to function effectively in high-sensitivity imaging systems, where it serves as a critical component for capturing light in spectral ranges beyond the visible spectrum.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Mercury telluride, 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 HgTe. 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 HgTe, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -37.583 | 7.65 |
| P3221 (No. 154) | trigonal | 0.28 | 0.0370 | -37.546 | 8.34 |
| P3121 (No. 152) | trigonal | 0.48 | 0.0370 | -37.546 | 8.36 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.1497 | -37.433 | 9.35 |
| Cmcm (No. 63) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.1691 | -37.414 | 9.06 |
| I-4m2 (No. 119) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.1862 | -37.396 | 9.42 |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.4220 | -37.161 | 9.85 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 6.85 |
| F-43m (No. 216) | Cubic | — | — | — | 7.72 |
| Pmn21 (No. 31) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | — | — | — | — | — |
Applications
Where Mercury telluride is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mercury telluride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is HgTe?
Mercury telluride is a stable semiconducting material primarily utilized in the manufacturing of high-performance infrared detectors and optoelectronic sensors.
What is HgTe used for?
What is the band gap of HgTe?
Is HgTe a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is HgTe thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of HgTe?
What is the density of HgTe?
How many polymorphs of HgTe are known?
What elements does HgTe contain?
Where does the data for HgTe come from?
How It Compares
As a prominent binary semiconductor, mercury telluride serves as a benchmark for performance in infrared sensing applications. Its thermodynamic stability and well-documented structural diversity distinguish it as a reliable material choice within the broader landscape of mercury-based chalcogenides.
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).
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