The possible effects of experimental bandwidth limitation on the accuracy of the energy distribution
of the density of localized states (DOS) calculated from transient photoconductivity data by the
Fourier transform method is examined. An argument concerning the size of missing contributions to
the numerical Fourier integrals is developed. It is shown that the degree of distortion is not
necessarily large even for relatively small experimental bandwidths. The density of states calculated
from transient photodecay measurements in amorphous arsenic triselenide is validated by
comparing with modulated photocurrent data. It is pointed out that DOS distributions calculated
from transient photoconductivity data at a high photoexcitation density are valid under certain
conditions. This argument is used to probe the conduction band tail in undoped a-Si:H to energies
shallower than 0.1 eV below the mobility edge. It is concluded that there is a deviation in the DOS
from exponential at about 0.15 eV below the mobility edge
