Size effects in [N(CH3)4]2Zn0.58Cu0.42Cl4 crystals

The temperature dependences of birefringence in thin [N(CH₃)₄]₂Zn_0.58Cu_0.42Cl₄ crystals in the thickness range 20 × 10^?6 ≤ d ≤ 500 ? 10^?6 m have been investigated. An increase in the temperatures of the parent phase-incommensurate phase and incommensurate phase-ferroelectric phase transitions has been found. The reasons for the shift in the phase transition temperatures with a decrease in the thickness of [N(CH₃)₄]₂Zn_0.58Cu_0.42Cl₄ crystal and the size effect in crystals with an incommensurate superstructure are discussed.     

Low-temperature X-ray studies of a [(CH3)2NH2]2 · CuCl4 crystal

The a, b, c lattice parameters of a [(CH₃)₂NH₂]₂ · CuCl₄ crystal have been measured by the X-ray diffraction method within the temperature range of 100–300 K. The temperature dependences of thermal expansion coefficients α_a = f(T), α_b = f(T), and α_c = f(T) along the principal crystallographic axes and thermal expansion coefficient of the unit-cell volume αV = f(T) are determined. It is found that all the three parameters, a, b, and c, vary with temperature in a complicated way and show jumplike anomalies in the a = f(T), b = f(T), and c = f(T) curves at phase-transition temperatures T _c1 = 255 K and T _c2 = 279 K. An incommensurate phase with the modulation wave vector q _i = (1/2 + δ)(a* + c*) is revealed in the temperature range 279–296 K. It is shown that the incommensurability parameter δ increases with an increase in temperature.     

Ionic conductivity of KMgCr(MoO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> molybdate

The ionic conductivity σ of KMgCr(MoO₄)₃ crystal has been investigated in a temperature range of 575–932 K by impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range of (5–5) × 10⁵ Hz. Ternary molybdate was obtained from the initial MgMoO₄ and KCr(MoO₄)₂ reagents by solid-phase technique in air at 923–973 K for 200 h. The temperature dependence σ(T) of a ceramic sample exhibits a jump of σ by a factor of about 4 at 833 ± 5 K, which is caused by the first-order phase transition. The σ value above the phase-transition temperature reaches 6 × 10^–4 S/cm (932 K) at an ion-transport activation enthalpy of 0.84 ± 0.05 eV. The most likely carriers in KMgCr(MoO₄)₃ are K⁺ cations.     

Phase transitions in Cs5(HSO4)2(H2PO4)3 crystal

The symmetry (sp. gr.I $\bar 4$ 3d) and lattice parameters have been determined for the first time for Cs₅(H₂SO₄)₂(H₂PO₄)₃ crystals in the temperature range from 172 to 390 K. The thermal and optical properties of crystals, as well as their conductivity, have been investigated at elevated temperatures. It is shown that a crystal heated to T = 365 K undergoes a phase transition with symmetry lowering to the tetragonal phase (with the parameters a = 4.965(1) Å and c = 5.016(1) Å), while at T ≈ 390 K a phase transition to the cubic phase is presumably observed. With a decrease in temperature, a phase transition without a change in symmetry occurs at T = 240 K.     

Low‐temperature elastic and dielectric properties of K3Na(SO4)2 crystals

Elastic and dielectric properties of glaserite K₃Na(SO₄)₂ single crystal were examined using the method of composite oscillators, Brillouin light scattering methods and dielectric spectroscopy. Measurements were performed in the temperature range from 18 K to 300 K. Anomalies in the temperature dependencies of Brillouin shift and dielectric permittivity at about 70 K confirmed the earlier predicted phase transition at 75 ± 25 K. Temperature dependences of the resonance frequency of the vibrating composite oscillator, Brillouin shift measured in the [110] direction, components of dielectric permittivity tensor reveal an anomaly at about 50 K. Moreover, thermal hysteresis of the dielectric permittivity suggested the presence of an incommensurate state between T ₁ = 50 K and T ₂ = 70 K. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Temperature dependence of the crystal-optics characteristics of [N(CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript>]<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZnCl<Subscript>4</Subscript>:Ni<Superscript>2+</Superscript> crystals with correlated motion of tetrahedral groups

The optical birefringence, optical indicatrix rotation, and residual intensity have been experimentally investigated in the parent and incommensurate phases of [N(CH₃)₄]₂ZnCl₄ crystals doped with Ni²⁺. The temperature dependences obtained are nonlinear in a wide temperature range (T _i − 360 K). It is shown that the nature of this nonlinearity is related to the presence of local spatial regions of the correlated motion of tetrahedral groups. It is established that the deformation of tetrahedral groups increases the temperature range of existence of these regions.     

Temperature-induced changes in physical properties and lattice symmetry of nickel crystals

It has been shown that the changes in some physical properties of nickel crystals can be explained on the assumption of the existence of an isotropic magnetic phase within the temperature range 470 < T < 631 K, whose thermodynamic properties are determined by the exchange interaction alone. At T _is ≈ 470 K, this phase should be transformed into an anisotropic magnetic phase because of the cooperative effect of relativistic interactions. This provides a consistent interpretation of the changes in the symmetry and the number of physical characteristics of the crystal in the framework of the Landau theory within the temperature range 273 < T < 650 K.     

The behavior of thermal conductivity in the chaotic phase of [N(CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript>]<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZnCl<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal

A thermal investigation of the modulated structure dynamics at the transition between metastable states in the incommensurate phase of [N(CH₃)₄]₂ZnCl₄ crystal have been performed. It is established that the anomalous behavior of the thermal conductivity in the absence of a defect-density wave is due to the inelastic scattering of thermal phonons from critical phonons of the soft optical branch. In the presence of a defect-density wave, the anomalous increase in thermal conductivity is caused by the existence of a chaotic phase and is related to the contribution that soft optical phonons make to the heat transfer due to the increase in their group velocity.     

Theoretical phase diagrams for [N(CD3)4]2ZnCl4 crystal

A theoretical phase diagram of [N(CD₃)₄]₂ZnCl₄ crystal is constructed in the plane of two thermodynamic-potential coefficients. The orientation of the temperature (T) and pressure (P) axes is chosen in the diagram. The first diagram is used as a basis to construct the second theoretical T-P phase diagram, expanded to the region of weak negative pressures for nondeuterated [N(CH₃)₄]₂ZnCl₄ crystal. It is suggested that this region can be observed for deuterated [N(CD₃)₄]₂ZnCl₄ crystal.     

Dielectric properties of thallium gallium diselenide layered crystal in the incommensurate phase

The dielectric measurements of the layered crystal were studied in temperature range of successive phase transitions. The measurements revealed that the phase transition occurred in 242 K is an incommensurate phase transition. When the sample is annealed at a stabilized temperature in the incommensurate phase, a remarkable memory effect has been observed on cooling run. The mechanism of the memory effect in the incommensurate phase of the semiconducting ferroelectric TlGaSe₂ can be interpreted in the frame of the theory of defect density waves. This theory claims that the memory effect is the result of pinning of the incommensurate structure by the lattice inhomogeneities. With decreasing the annealing temperature the phase transition temperature shifts to lower temperatures gradually. Moreover, the peak intensities also increase gradually. In addition to these effects, the phase transition temperature shifts to lower temperatures with increasing annealing time. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A neutron diffraction study of the phase transition of fully deuterated triglycine sulphate (ND2CD2COOD)3.D2SO4

Using neutron single crystal and powder diffraction, the first thorough investigation of the structure of fully deuterated triglycine sulphate, (ND₂CD₂COOD)₃.D₂SO₄ is presented, including its evolution with T, through its structural phase transition. This includes new precise structural parameters determined at several key temperatures above and below T_C using single crystal diffraction, and for the first time a parametric study has been undertaken over a wide temperature range — from 4 to 500 K in 2 K steps. It was found that fully deuterated TGS shows a structure consistent with hydrogenous TGS and partially deuterated TGS. The evolution of several key hydrogen bond lengths suggests that weakening of the H‐bond network with T is crucial in decoupling the polarising glycine molecules from the other glycines and allowing the long‐range ferroelectric order to break down. A new parameterisation of the phase transition is demonstrated. Contrary to results of physical properties measurements, there is no evidence of a second low temperature phase transition in TGS – no low temperature anomalies were observed in the crystal structure.     

Effect of the number of defect density waves on the dynamics of the soliton system in [N(CH3)4]2CuCl4 and [N(CH3)4]2Zn0.98Ni0.02Cl4 crystals

The time dependences of the birefringence and thermal conductivity of [N(CH₃)₄]₂CuCl₄ and [N(CH₃)₄]₂Zn_0.98Ni_0.02Cl₄ crystals in the incommensurate phase at a constant temperature have been studied. A multiwave state of modulated superstructure is found to be formed in the presence of defect density waves in the crystal. It is shown that, depending on the number of defect density waves in the crystal, either a superposition of existing modulation waves or a domainlike structure arise in it.     

Structure and phase transitions in trigonal Cs3Sb2I9 crystals

The atomic structure of Cs₃Sb₂I₉ single crystals was refined using X-ray diffraction data (sp. gr. P3m1; wR = 1.58% and R = 3.07%). The phase transitions revealed earlier were found to be accompanied by the appearance of superstructural reflections. At T _c1 = 86 K, the reflections indicating doubling of the c parameter. At T _c2 = 73 K, a first-order phase transition takes place accompanied by “freezing” of the satellites h, k + 1/2, l + 1/2 reflections. In the temperature range from 73 to 78 K, an incommensurate phase providing the satellites h, k + 1/2 + δ, l + 1/2 is formed.     

Optical,X-ray,and calorimetric studies of phase transitions in ND4BeF3

Phase transitions in ND₄BeF₃ crystals at T₁ = 330 and T₂ = 245 K were studied by specific heat (DSC) and X-ray lattice parameters measurements in function of temperature. These ferroelastic transitions are accompanied by anomalous heat absorption, sudden changes in the unit cell parameters and crystal symmetry. Formation of domain structure in particular phases examined under a polarizing microscope is also described. Domain walls of the type (100), (010), and (001) observable at room temperature indicate on the triclinic symmetry of the Phase II. Above T₁ the crystal becomes orthorhombic. First-order phase transition at T₂ causes the symmetry of the crystal in the Phase III to be monoclinic with the c-axis unique. The phase transition diagram is proposed and compared with the phase situation in nondeuterated NH₄BeF₃ crystals.     

Crystal structure of Li2MgSiO4

The crystal structure of Li₂MgSiO₄ was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystals are monoclinic, a = 4.9924(7) Å, b = 10.681(2) Å, c = 6.2889(5) Å, β = 90.46(1)°, Z = 4, sp. gr. P2₁/n, V = 335.54 ų, R = 0.062. In a Li₂MgSiO₄ crystal, four types of independent T(1–4) tetrahedra share vertices to form a three-dimensional framework. Three of these tetrahedra are occupied simultaneously by Li and Mg cations, which corresponds to the crystallochemical formula (Li_0.98Mg_0.02)(Li_0.80Mg_0.20) · (Li_0.22Mg_0.78)SiO₄. In slightly distorted SiO₄ tetrahedra denoted as T(1), the average Si-O distance is 1.635(2) Å. The distortions of other tetrahedra and the average (Li _x Mg_{1 ? x} )-O distances increase with an increase in lithium content. These distances in the T(2), T(3), and T(4) tetrahedra are 1.955(2), 1.971(4), and 2.019(6) Å, respectively. The structure of the new compound is compared with the crystal structures of other Li₂ M ²⁺SiO₄ compounds and the luminescence spectra of Cr⁴⁺: Li₂MgSiO₄.     

A study of the primary crystallization of a mixed anion silicate glass

This paper presents the results of a study of the primary crystallization of a multicomponent mixed anion silicate glass. The primary phase, leucite, and the secondary phase, diopside, were formed by surface crystallization, while the secondary phase, phlogopite, was formed by volume crystallization. The influence of the particle size of glass powder samples in the range 0-1 mm on the temperature of the DTA crystallization peak, T_p, the height of the peak, (δT)_p, and the parameter /(ΔT)_p was studied. The behaviors of the parameters (δT)_p and /(ΔT)_p depend only on the change in the surface-to-volume nuclei ratio, as is the case with polymorphic crystallization. However, the particle size ranges in which the surface, volume and mixed crystallization mechanism dominate are considerably narrower for this glass. The influence of the duration of a pre-DTA heat treatment on the parameters T_p, (δT)_p, and ΔT_p for fixed temperatures in the range T = 550-750 °C was investigated. The T_p of the samples thermally treated for different times, at fixed temperatures, decreased up to t = 5 h and then increased to a value close to that of an as-quenched sample, after which the value remained constant. The curves of (δT)_p, and ΔT_p as a function of time for fixed temperatures show a maximum. The influence of the temperature of the pre-DTA heat treatment on the parameters T_p, (δT)_p, and ΔT_p for fixed times of t = 1−5 h was also investigated. On increasing the pre-DTA heat treatment time, the curves changed significantly. The curves for 3 and 5 h in the temperature range 580-660 °C were similar to the nucleation curve, which indicated that the volume nucleation process proceeded in this temperature range. The behavior of these parameters, as a result of the simultaneous action of different nucleation mechanisms and crystal growth differ from those previously reported for the case of polymorphic crystallization.     

Structural phase transition in CuFe2O4 spinel

A structural transition with a reduction in symmetry of the high temperature cubic phase (sp. gr. Fd3m) to the tetragonal phase (sp. gr. I4₁/amd) and the appearance of a ferrimagnetic structure occur in CuFe₂O₄ copper ferrite at T ≈ 440°C. It is established by an experiment on a high-resolution neutron diffractometer that the temperature at which long-range magnetic order occurs is higher than that of tetragonal phase formation. When cooling CuFe₂O₄ spinel from 500°C, the equilibrium coexistence of both phases is observed in a fairly wide temperature range (～40°C). The composition studied is a completely inverse spinel in the cubic phase, and in the tetragonal phase the inversion parameter does not exceed few percent (x = 0.06 ± 0.04). At the same time, the phase formed upon cooling has a classical value of tetragonal distortion (γ ≈ 1.06). The character of temperature changes in the structural parameters during the transition from cubic to tetragonal phase indicates that this transition is based on the Jahn-Teller distortion of (Cu,Fe)O₆ octahedra rather than the mutual migration of copper and iron atoms.     

Growth,structure, and magnetic properties of CuFeTe<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals

CuFeTe₂ single crystals were grown and the temperature dependence of their magnetic susceptibility in the temperature range 1.8–400 K was investigated. It is found that the magnetic susceptibility shows anomalies at temperatures T _s = 65 and T _N = 125 K. At T > 125 K, the crystal is in the paramagnetic state controlled by Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions with an effective magnetic moment of 1.44 μB.     

Investigation of the structure and properties of (K x (NH4)1 − x )3H(SO4)2 single crystals

The influence of isomorphous replacement in the cation sublattice on the kinetics of the phase transition in single crystals of the solid solutions (K _x (NH₄)_{1 ? x} ) _m H _n (SO₄)_{(m + n)/2} · yH₂O belonging to the K₃H(SO₄)₂-(NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂-H₂O salt system was studied. Superproton phase transitions for the end compositions of this system have been found earlier. The optical and thermal properties of crystals with the composition (K,NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ in the temperature range from 295 to 500 K were investigated, and the crystal structure was determined at 295 K. The results of the study and the comparison with the literature data show that the replacement of potassium atoms with ammonia leads to a fundamental change in the kinetics of the phase transition, the phase-transition temperature remaining virtually unchanged.     

The Investigation of Relation Between the Transition Temperature and the Unit Cell Volume in (K1-xCsx)2ZnCl4 Mixed Crystals

The relation between the phase transition temperature and unit cell volume in the (K_1-xCs_x)₂ZnCl₄ mixed crystals was studied. The phase transition temperature of A₂BX₄ family is dependent on the size of cation and anion (FABRY and PEREZ-MATO). That is, the transition temperature of crystal decreases with increasing unit cell volume. In this study we investigated this property of mixed crystals with the increasing mixture ratio. From the current study, we obtained the result that in the mixed crystals (K_1-xCs_x)₂ZnCl₄, the increase of x induces the increase of unit cell volume, so that T_I decreases with increasing unit cell volume. In order to determine the distribution of the substituted Cs⁺, using the near IR and UV spectrophotometer, we investigated both the band gap energy and the type of transition.