PRESSURE-INDUCED SEMICONDUCTOR-SUPERCONDUCTOR TRANSITION AND THE PRESSURE DEPENDENCE OF THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE

Under the influence of external pressure, atoms in a semiconductor are forced into closer proximity, resulting in a notable reduction of their vibrational amplitudes. This physical compression affects the electronic band structure by decreasing the width of the forbidden energy gap (band gap), a phenomenon which signals the gradual emergence of metallic behavior. As the band gap narrows, the energy required to excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band decreases, facilitating the formation of free charge carriers.