Phase transitions of YbX (X = P,As and Sb) with a NaCl-type structure at high pressures

The powder X-ray diffraction of YbX (X?=?P, As and Sb) with a NaCl-type structure has been studied with synchrotron radiation up to 63?GPa at room temperature. YbSb undergoes the first-order structural phase transition from the NaCl-type (B1) to the CsCl-type (B2) structure at around 13?GPa. The structural change to the B2 structure occurs with the volume collapse of about 1% at 13?GPa. The transition pressure of YbSb is surprisingly lower than that of any other heavier LnSb (Ln?=?Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Lu). The pressure-induced phase transitions in YbP and YbAs are observed at around 51?GPa and 52?GPa respectively. The transition pressure of both compounds is much higher than that of YbSb. The high-pressure structural behaviour of YbX (X?=?P, As and Sb) is discussed. The volume versus pressure curve for YbX with the NaCl-type structure is fitted by a Birch equation of state. The bulk moduli of these compounds with the NaCl-type structure are 104?GPa for YbP, 85?GPa for YbAs and 52?GPa for YbSb.     

Structural phase transitions in yttrium under ultrahigh pressures

X-ray diffraction studies were carried out on the rare earth metal yttrium up to 177?GPa in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. Yttrium was compressed to 37% of its initial volume at the highest pressure. The rare earth crystal structure sequence hcp?→?Sm?type?→?dhcp?→?mixed(dhcp?+?fcc)?→?distorted fcc (dfcc) is observed in yttrium below 50?GPa. The dfcc (hR24) phase has been observed to persist in the pressure range of 50-95?GPa. A structural transition from dfcc to a low symmetry phase has been observed in yttrium at 99?±?4?GPa with a volume change of -?2.6%. This low symmetry phase has been identified as a monoclinic C2/m phase, which has also been observed in other rare earth elements under high pressures. The appearance of this low symmetry monoclinic phase in yttrium shows that its electronic structure under extreme conditions resembles that of heavy rare earth metals, with a significant increase in d-band character of the valence electrons and possibly some f-electron states near the Fermi level.     

High pressure generation using double-stage diamond anvil technique: problems and equations of state of rhenium

We have developed a double stage diamond anvil cell (ds-DAC) technique for reproducible pressure by precisely fabricating 2nd stage anvils using a focused ion beam system. We used 2nd stage micro-anvils made of ultra-fine (V/V₀?=?0.633 for the smallest d-spacing. The calculated pressure for this minimum volume varies from 430 to 630?GPa, depending on the choice of the equation of state of rhenium. We conclude that the most likely pressure achieved for the minimum volume of rhenium is in a range of 430–460?GPa based on a calibration using the platinum pressure scale to 280?GPa and the latter value of 630?GPa is unreasonably high, suggesting that the pressures in an earlier study for the equation of state of rhenium would have been significantly overestimated.     

High pressure studies on α-cristobalite form of Al0.5Ga0.5PO4: hydrostatic versus non-hydrostatic conditions

High pressure angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction investigations have been carried out on α-cristobalite form of Al_0.5Ga_0.5PO₄. Our investigations show that the structural stability of this phase under high pressure depends on the nature of pressure conditions in the diamond anvil cell. Under hydrostatic pressure conditions using neon as a pressure transmitting medium, ambient orthorhombic C222₁ phase transforms to orthorhombic Cmcm phase at 4.9?GPa. The high pressure Cmcm phase remains stable up to the highest pressure in the experiment, i.e. 19?GPa. The values of bulk modulus for C222₁ and Cmcm phases are 19(2) and 126(4)?GPa, respectively. In contrast to this, under non-hydrostatic pressure conditions, transformation of ambient C222₁ phase to Cmcm phase has not observed up to 17.4?GPa. Instead, a new monoclinic phase P2₁ is observed which contains layers of six coordinated Al/Ga ions separated by less dense five coordinated Al/Ga ions.     

Synthesis experiments on in-Sb and B-Sb systems in a laser heated diamond-anvil cell

Abstract

High pressure and high temperature synthesis experiments were carried out on In-Sb and B-Sb systems with a laser heated diamond-anvil cell. InSb was synthesized starting from In and Sb at various pressures ranging from 0.2 to 10 GPa. The cubic as well as the high pressure phases were successfully synthesized. Experiments above 8 GPa, wherein antimony exists in the tetragonal phase, have revealed no new phases of InSb. Trials of synthesizing a compound from B and Sb gave negative result to at least 30 GPa.     

Static compression of rare earth metal holmium to 282 GPa

ABSTRACT

The phase transitions and equation of state measurements were carried out on rare earth metal Holmium (Ho) to 282?GPa using toroidal diamond anvils thereby doubling the pressure range to which it has been studied previously. The first set of experiment employed standard beveled diamond anvils utilizing copper as an x-ray pressure standard to 217?GPa. The second set of experiment employed toroidal diamond anvils utilizing platinum as an x-ray pressure standard to 282?GPa. The recently proposed 16-atom orthorhombic structure (oF16) appeared to be stable between 103 and 282?GPa. The scaled axial ratio (c/a) shows a narrow range of variation of 1.58?±?0.05 for the five known crystalline phases of Ho to 282?GPa. The experimental equation of state of Ho is presented up to a threefold volume compression V/V_o?=?0.322.     

Osmium metal studied under high pressure and nonhydrostatic stress

Interest in osmium as an ultra-incompressible material and as an analog for the behavior of iron at high pressure has inspired recent studies of its mechanical properties. We have measured elastic and plastic deformation of Os metal at high pressures using in situ high pressure x-ray diffraction in the radial geometry. We show that Os has the highest yield strength observed for any pure metal, supporting up to 10 GPa at a pressure of 26 GPa. Furthermore, our data indicate changes in the nonhydrostatic apparent c/a ratio and clear lattice preferred orientation effects at pressures above 15 GPa.     

Phase transitions in KIO(3)

The high-pressure behavior of KIO(3) was studied up to 30?GPa using single crystal and powder x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, second harmonic generation (SHG) experiments and density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations. Triclinic KIO(3) shows two pressure-induced structural phase transitions at 7?GPa and at 14?GPa. Single crystal x-ray diffraction at 8.7(1)?GPa was employed to solve the structure of the first high-pressure phase (space group R3, a?=?5.89(1) ?, α?=?62.4(1)°). The bulk modulus, B, of this phase was obtained by fitting a second order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (eos) to synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction data resulting in B(exp,second)?=?67(3)?GPa. The DFT model gave B(DFT,second)?=?70.9?GPa, and, for a third order Birch-Murnaghan eos, B(DFT,third)?=?67.9?GPa with a pressure derivative of [Formula: see text]. Both high-pressure transformations were detectable by Raman spectroscopy and the observation of second harmonic signals. The presence of strong SHG signals shows that all high-pressure phases are acentric. By using different pressure media, we showed that the transition pressures are very strongly influenced by shear stresses. Earlier work on low- and high-temperature transitions was complemented by low-temperature heat capacity measurements. We found no evidence for the presence of an orientational glass, in contrast to earlier dielectric studies, but consistent with earlier low-temperature diffraction studies.     

斜锆石（ZrO2）高温高压相变的Raman光谱研究

 以Ar作压力介质，在0~23 GPa压力范围内，利用金刚石压腔装置（DAC）和激光加温技术，采用显微拉曼光谱进行原位测试，对处于准静水压力条件下的斜锆石开展高温高压相变研究。研究结果表明：室温下斜锆石ZrO₂于3.4 GPa时开始发生相变，到10.4 GPa时其明显转变成一个空间群为Pbca的斜方相。此新相随着压力升高，直到15.3 GPa，仍稳定存在。通过研究，首次获得了Pbca相的拉曼谱图。随后在15.3 GPa压力下进行了激光加温后淬火，结果发现，加热前的Pbca相又转变成了空间群为Pnam的PbCl₂结构类型的高压相，该相直到实验最高压力23 GPa仍稳定存在。     

Volume collapse phase transitions in cerium-praseodymium alloys under high pressure

Cerium-12at%Praseodymium(Ce_0.88Pr_0.12) and Ce-50at%Praseodymium(Ce_0.50Pr_0.50) alloy samples that contain a random solid-solution of Ce (4f¹ (J?=?5/2)) and Pr (4f² (J?=?4)) localized f-states have been studied by angle dispersive x-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell to a pressure of 65?GPa and 150?GPa respectively using a synchrotron source. Ce_0.88Pr_0.12 alloy crystallizes in a face-centered cubic (γ-phase) structure at ambient conditions, while Ce_0.50Pr_0.50 alloy crystallizes in the double hexagonal close packed (dhcp) structure at ambient conditions. Two distinct volume collapse transitions are observed in Ce_0.88Pr_0.12 alloy at 1.5?GPa and 18?GPa with volume change of 8.5% and 3% respectively. In contrast, Ce_0.50Pr_0.50 alloy shows only a single volume collapse of 5.6% at 20?GPa on phase transformation to α-Uranium structure under high pressure. Electrical transport measurements under high pressure show anomalies in electrical resistance at phase transitions for both compositions of this alloy.     

Equation of state and structural characterization of Cu4I4{PPh2(CH2CH = CH2)}4 under pressure

Combined high pressure single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments and ab initio simulations based on the density functional theory have been performed on a copper(I) iodide cluster formulated [Cu₄I₄{PPh₂(CH₂CH?=?CH₂)}₄] under high pressure up to 5?GPa. An exhaustive study of compressibility has been done by means of determination of isothermal equations of state and structural changes with pressure at 298?K taking advantage of the single crystal is more precise than powder X-ray diffraction for this type of experiments. It allows us to report the evidence of the existence of an isostructural phase transition of second order at 2.3?GPa not detected so far.     

Thermal equation-of-state of osmium: a synchrotron X-ray diffraction study

The pressure-volume-temperature behavior of osmium was studied at pressures and temperatures up to 15 GPa and 1273 K. In situ measurements were conducted using energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a T-cup 6-8 high pressure apparatus. A fit of room-temperature data by the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation-of-state yielded isothermal bulk modulus K₀=435(19) GPa and its pressure derivative K′₀=3.5(0.8) GPa. High-temperature data were analyzed using Birch-Murnaghan equation of state and thermal pressure approach. The temperature derivative of bulk modulus was found to be −0.061(9) GPa K⁻¹. Significant anisotropy of osmium compressibility was observed.     

Electron Transport Property of CdTe under High Pressure and Moderate Temperature by In-Situ Resistivity Measurement in Diamond Anvil Cell

In situ resistivity measurement has been performed to investigate the electron transport property of powered CdTe under high pressure and moderate temperature in a designed diamond anvil cell. Several abnormal resistivity changes can be found at room temperature when the pressure increases from ambient to 33 GPa. The abnormal resistivity changes at about 3.8 GPa and 10 GPa are caused by the structural phase transitions to the rock-salt phase and to the Cmcm phase, respectively. The other abnormal resistivity changes at about 6.5 GPa, 15.5 GPa, 22.2 GPa and about 30 GPa never observed before are due to the electronic phase transitions of CdTe. The origin of the abnormal change occurred at about 6.5 GPa is discussed. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of CdTe shows its semiconducting behaviour at least before 11.3 GPa.     

High-pressure Raman study of solid hydrogen up to 300 GPa

The high-pressure behavior of solid hydrogen has been investigated by in situ Raman spectroscopy upon compression to 300 GPa at ambient temperature. The hydrogen vibron frequency begins to decrease after it initially increases with pressure up to 38 GPa. This softening behavior suggests the weakening of the intramolecular bond and the increased intermolecular interactions. Above 237 GPa, the vibron frequency softens very rapidly with pressure at a much higher rate than that of phase III, corresponding to transformation from phase III into phase IV. The phase transition sequence has been confirmed from phase I to phase III and then to phase IV at 208 and 237 GPa, respectively. Previous theoretical calculations lead to the proposal of an energetically favorable monoclinic C2/c structure for phase III and orthorhombic Pbcn structure for phase IV. Up to 304 GPa, solid hydrogen is not yet an alkali metal since the sample is still transparent.     

过渡金属锇在高压下的力学特性

 基于密度泛函理论平面波赝势法的第一性原理计算,研究了过渡金属锇在高压下的状态方程、弹性常数和其它力学性质。 计算结果表明：过渡金属锇具有很高的体积模量B₀（423.9 GPa）和弹性常数C₁₁（771.3 GPa）与C₃₃（852.0 GPa）,与金刚石的（B₀=452.8 GPa,C₁₁=C₃₃=1 082.9 GPa）比较,具有超低压缩特性;表征材料抵抗剪切变形能力的弹性常数C₄₄（269.8 GPa）和切变模量（276.8 GPa）只有金刚石的（C₄₄=586.9 GPa,G=537.5 GPa）一半,而所成的又是纯金属键,因此锇不具有超硬性。最后,定性分析了它的高体积模量和低硬度的微观电子机制,这对于设计与合成新的超硬性材料具有启发意义。     

C60高压X射线衍射研究

 采用同步辐射X光源和能量色散法对高纯C₆₀粉末样品进行高压原位X光衍射实验。由金刚石对顶压砧高压装置（DAC）产生高压,用已知状态方程的Pt粉末作内标,由Pt的衍射数据确定样品压力,最高压力达30 GPa。实验结果表明：室温常压下原始C₆₀样品为面心立方结构,晶格常数a=1.420 86 nm。高压下C₆₀的结构有所变化：从p=13.7 GPa开始,(311)线发生劈裂,形成低对称相;随着压力增加,衍射线逐渐变宽,强度逐渐变弱,压力超过25 GPa,衍射背底隆起,C₆₀开始转化成非晶相;在30 GPa左右,衍射线条完全消失,标志着向非晶相转化过程的完成。人们也对C₆₀样品不同压力的高压“淬火”相进行了X光衍射实验。采用非静水压的装样方式,最高压力达44 GPa,结果在30 GPa以上,C₆₀也转变为非晶相。最后我们对C₆₀晶体的压致非晶化现象进行了初步的讨论。     

压力高达27 GPa下天然奥长石的XRD分析

在室温高达27 GPa压力下对天然奥长石(Na_0.86K_0.02Ca_0.12Mg_0.01(Fe_0.01Al_1.12Si_2.87O₈))粉晶进行了原位同步辐射X光衍射(XRD)测量,获得了样品的状态方程。实验数据表明随着压力增大奥长石样品在大约3.5 GPa发生了三斜向单斜的相变(P1→C2)和在大约10.0 GPa发生了单斜对称相变(C2→C2/m)。样品三个相的体模量计算值分别为K₀=73.8 GPa (K′=10.98), K_(C2)=124 GPa (K′=1.05) 和K_(C2/m)=272 GPa (K′=0.625)。样品的元素组成影响其T-O-T 键角的刚度、M-O键的强度和Si-O-Al键角的弯曲,从而导致奥长石样品在高压行为的特殊变化。三斜相的奥长石晶胞压缩性具明显的各向异性。实验结果表明在冷俯冲带奥长石可能是碱金属和碱土金属深循环的载体。     

Ab initio predicted elastic and thermodynamic properties of Imm2-BN under high pressure

The structural parameters, elastic constants, thermodynamic properties of Imm2-BN under high pressure were calculated via the density functional theory in combination with quasi-harmonic Debye approach. The results showed that the pressure has the significant effect on the equilibrium lattice parameters, elastic and thermodynamic properties of Imm2-BN. The obtained ground state structural parameters are in good agreement with previous theoretical results. The elastic constants, elastic modulus, and elastic anisotropy were determined in the pressure range of 0–90?GPa. Furthermore, by analyzing the B/G ratio, the brittle/ductile behavior under high pressure is evaluated and the elastic anisotropy of the Imm2-BN up to 90?GPa is studied in detail. Moreover, the pressure and temperature dependence of thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, Debye temperature, and Grüneisen parameter are predicted in a wide pressure (0–90?GPa) and temperature (0–1600?K) ranges. The obtained results are expected to provide helpful guidance for the future synthesis and application of Imm2-BN.     

Zn2SnO4纳米线高压下的相变研究

 利用金刚石对顶压砧（DAC）对具有反尖晶石结构的透明导体氧化物Zn₂SnO₄（ZTO）纳米线进行了原位高压同步辐射角散X射线衍射（ADXRD）研究。结果发现：在压力为12.9 GPa附近,晶体的对称性降低,并发生晶体结构相变,产生中间过渡相;当压力为32.7 GPa时,发生高压相变,形成高压相。在样品加压前后,纳米线的形貌发生了很大的变化。通过Birch-Murnaghan方程,拟合得到B′₀=4时的体弹模量B₀ =(168.6±9.7) GPa。     

CsBr高压X光研究

 采用同步辐射X光源和能散法，对CsBr粉末样品进行高压原位X光衍射实验。由金刚石对顶压砧高压装置（DAC）产生高压，用已知状态方程的Pt粉末作内标，由Pt的衍射数据确定样品压力，最高压力达64.4 GPa。实验结果表明：室温常压下原始CsBr样品是具有简单立方结构的晶体，其晶格常数α＝0.428 5 nm。高压下CsBr的结构有所变化，在51.3~58.4 GPa的压力范围内，(110)线和(211)线发生劈裂，从而形成了四方相。