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Disorder Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in BaPb$_{1-x}$Bi$_x$O$_3$ and Inference of Disorder-Free Critical Temperature

We performed point-contact spectroscopy tunneling measurements on single crystal BaPb$_{1-x}$Bi$_x$O$_3$ for $x=0$, $0.19$, $0.25$, and $0.28$ at temperatures ranging from $T=2-40$ K and find a suppression in the density of states at low bias-voltages, which has not previously been reported. The classic square root dependence observed in the density of states fits within the theoretical framework of disordered metals, and we find that the correlation gap disappears around a critical concentration $x_c=0.30$. We also report a linear dependence of the zero-temperature conductivity, $σ_0$, with concentration, where $σ_0=0$ at $x_c=0.30$. We conclude that a disorder driven metal-insulator transition occurs in this material before the onset of the charge disproportionated charge density wave insulator. We explore the possibility of a scaling theory being applicable for this material. In addition, we estimate the disorder-free critical temperature using theory developed by Belitz and Fukuyama et. al. and compare these results to Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$BiO$_3$.