Electronic structure calculations of transparent conductor Cd3TeO6: Optical properties and the effect of In-substitution

The electronic structure of Cd₃TeO₆ has been studied in the terms of first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory in order to investigate their optical properties and In-substitution effects. It was found that the highly dispersed bottom of the conduction band formed from Cd-s orbitals is the origin of the high transparency and conductivity. Cd₃TeO₆ exhibited optical anisotropy in its main crystal axes, and the c-axis showed the most suitable crystal growth direction for obtaining a wide transparent region. A pronounced shift of the absorption edge was effectively observed by the In-substitution, reflecting the domination of the In-5s level in the conduction band near the Fermi level.