The lattice thermal conductivity of HgSe is strongly depressed in the temperature region from 4 to 30 K. This could be accounted for satisfactorily only by a third-order (two-phonon) resonance scattering process. The relative magnitudes of the dominant Rayleigh scattering due to ionized Hg interstitials and of resonance scattering may be varied by different procedures for annealing HgSe.

• Received 17 March 1969

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.22.884