High Temperature Structural Behavior of SrRuO{sub 3}

The unusual metal SrRuO{sub 3} is perhaps the only known 4d transition metal based ferromagnet (Tc = 162K) with a sizable moment. To complement low T polarized neutron diffraction measurements of the magnetization density, high T neutron diffraction measurements are reported here. Two structural phase transitions are observed. Between 10K and 800K SrRuO{sub 3} is orthorhombic and at 800K it appears to be tetragonal until 975K, where it becomes cubic. The temperature variation of the lattice parameters are reported along with a structural description of the tetragonal phase

Ionic Conductivities of Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride Glasses, Polycrystals and Thin Films

Various lithium phosphorus oxynitrides have been prepared in the form of glasses, polycrystals, and thin films. The structures of these compounds were investigated by X-ray and neutron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ac impedance measurements indicate a significant improvement of ionic conductivity as the result of incorporation of nitrogen into the structure. In the case of polycrystalline Li{sub 2.88}PO{sub 3.73}N{sub 0.14} with the {gamma}-Li{sub 3}PO{sub 4} structure, the conductivity increased by several orders of magnitude on small addition of nitrogen. The highest conductivities in the bulk glasses and thin films were found to be 3.0 {times} 10{sup -7} and 8.9 {times} 10{sup -7} S{center_dot}cm{sup -1} at 25{degrees}C, respectively

Three-dimensional flux states as a model for the pseudogap phase of transition metal oxides

We propose that the pseudogap state observed in the transition metal oxides can be explained by a three-dimensional flux state, which exhibits spontaneously generated currents in its ground state due to electron-electron correlations. We compare the energy of the flux state to other classes of mean field states, and find that it is stabilized over a wide range of $t$ and $\delta$. The signature of the state will be peaks in the neutron diffraction spectra, the location and intensity of which are presented. The dependence of the pseudogap in the optical conductivity is calculated based on the parameters in the model.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. B on January 8, 200

Structural chemistry of some phases in the YC-Ni-B system

NiB, monoclinic Ni{sub 4}B{sub 3}, Ni{sub 2}B and Ni{sub 3}B were prepared by arc-melting and their room-temperature crystal structures were refined by Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data. The NiB refinement is altogether new data. Although the B atoms in NiB form characteristic zigzag chains, the primary coordination of each atom by atoms of the other kind is similar and distinctively sevenfold, with one short (2.117 {angstrom}), two intermediate (2.152 {angstrom}), and four long (2.163 {angstrom}) bonds. Other samples with stoichiometries (YC)nNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}, n = 3, 4, did not yield single-phase material, but both x-ray and neutron powder diffraction suggest that the n = 4 structure is present in both of these samples. Phase-pure samples of these homologues may require non-stoichiometry and a more controlled thermal history than is attainable by arc melting. To screen samples for superconductivity, ac susceptibility measurements were made using the mutual inductance method with ac signal of 200 Hz

Magnetic and Charge Fluctuations in High-T(Sub c) Superconductors

Neutron scattering has been used to study the spin fluctuations in the YBaCuO and BiSrCaCuO materials. Evidence is found for both incommensurate fluctuations and a commensurate resonance excitation. Measurements on the lattice dynamics for YBaCuO show incommensurate structure that appears to stem from charge fluctuations that are associated with the spin fluctuations

Magnetic and Charge Fluctuations in High-T(Sub c) Superconductors

Neutron scattering has been used to study the spin fluctuations in the YBaCuO and BiSrCaCuO materials. Evidence is found for both incommensurate fluctuations and a commensurate resonance excitation. Measurements on the lattice dynamics for YBaCuO show incommensurate structure that appears to stem from charge fluctuations that are associated with the spin fluctuations

Neutron diffraction study of the magnetic structures of CeMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} and CeMn{sub 2}Si{sub 2}

The magnetic properties of the layered compounds of the form RMn{sub 2}X{sub 2} (R = Rare Earth, X = Si, Ge) have been thought to be sensitive to the intralayer Mn-Mn distance. Thus it has been reported that the Mn moments in CeMn{sub 2}Si{sub 2} are aligned antiferromagnetically (AF) below T{sub N} = 380K, while the Mn moments in CeMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} are ferromagnetic (FM) below T{sub C} = 316K. Recently, however, there has been some debate about the actual magnetic structures of this family of compounds, and for this reason the authors have performed high-resolution neutron powder diffraction measurements on these compounds for temperatures between 12K and 550K. The measurements indicate that at high temperatures both compounds are paramagnetic. Below T{sub N} = 380K CeMn{sub 2}Si{sub 2} becomes a collinear AF, with a structure similar to that reported by Siek et al. in which the magnetic propagation vector is {tau} = (0 0 1). CeMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} on the other hand, exhibits two different magnetic transitions. At T{sub N} {approx} 415K there is a transition to a collinear AF phase characterized by the commensurate propagation wavevector {tau} = (1 0 1). At T{sub C} = 318K there is a transition to a conical structure with a ferromagnetic component along the c-axis and a helical component in the ab plane. The helical component is characterized by the incommensurate propagation vector {tau} = (1 0 1-q{sub z}), where q{sub z} is temperature dependent. These findings are consistent with the recent results of Welter et al

Ionic conductivities of lithium phosphorus oxynitride glasses, polycrystals, and thin films

Various lithium phosphorus oxynitrides have been prepared in the form of glasses, polycrystals, and thin films. The structures of these compounds were investigated by X-ray and neutron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ac impedance measurements indicate a significant improvement of ionic conductivity as the result of incorporation of nitrogen into the structure. In the case of polycrystalline Li{sub 2.88}PO{sub 3.73}N{sub 0.14} with the {gamma}-Li{sub 3}PO{sub 4} structure, the conductivity increased by several orders of magnitude on small addition of nitrogen. The highest conductivities in the bulk glasses and thin films were found to be 3.0 {times} 10{sup -7} and 8.9 {times} 10{sup -7} S{center_dot}cm{sup -1} at 25{degrees}C, respectively

Epitaxial growth of metal fluoride thin films by pulsed-laser deposition

We have studied growth of GdLiF4 thin films for optical waveguide applications. Epitaxial, c-axis oriented GdLiF4 films wer grown from undoped GdLiF4 targets in an on-axis Pulsed-laser deposition geometry on (100) CaF2. These films exhibit a high density of particulates on the surface which are ejected from the target in the ablation process. Growth from Nd-doped polycrystalline GdLiF4 ablation targets results in smooth films with lower particulate densities, as Nd doping increases the optical absorption of GdLiF4 at the ablation laser wavelength 193 nm and permits efficient pulsed-laser deposition. Optical emission spectra of the ablation pume reveals the presence of atomic F, Gd, and Li, indicating the dissociation of the metal-fluorine bonds in the ablation process. In addition, we find that the residual background oxygen pressure must be reduced to avoid formation of Gd4O3F6 as an impurity oxyfluoride phase in the films