Luminescence spectra of nominally pure BaCeO3 perovskite crystals

Luminescence spectra of barium cerate BaCeO₃, a starting material in the family of mixed conductors with protonic and oxygen conduction, are studied for the first time. The photoluminescence of this material is shown to be due to transitions involving cerium ions. A model of the recombination process is proposed. The luminescence of samples subjected to various post-growth treatments is measured, and the connection between the type of the treatment and the specific changes in the luminescence spectra is interpreted.     

Calorimetric study of phase transitions in nanocomposites of quantum dots and a liquid crystal

The complex specific heat is measured over a wide temperature range for the liquid crystal (LC) 4-cyano-4-octylbiphenyl (8CB) and cadmium sulfate quantum dots (QDs) composites as a function of QD concentration. The thermal scans were performed under near-equilibrium conditions for all samples having QDs weight percent (φ_w) from 0 to 3wt% over a wide range of temperature well above and below the two transitions in pure 8CB. Isotropic (I) to nematic (N) and nematic to smectic-A (SmA) phase transitions evolve in character and their transition temperatures offset by (～2.3 to 2.6 K) lower for all composite samples as compared to that in pure 8CB. The enthalpy change associated with I–N phase transitions shows slightly different behavior on heating and cooling and it also shows crossover behavior at lower and higher QD content. The enthalpy change associated with N–SmA phase transitions is independent of QD loading and thermal treatment. Given the homogeneous and random distribution of QD in these nanocomposites, we interpret that these results as arising that the nematic phase imposes self-assembly on QDs to form one-dimensional arrays leading to QDs and induces net local disordering effect in LC media.     

X-Ray powder diffraction study of structural phase transitions in (Ba0.5Sr0.5)PbO3 perovskite

Study of structural properties of (Ba_0.5Sr_0.5)PbO₃ has been carried out in a wide temperature range from 10 to 1223 K using the X-ray powder diffraction technique. Two temperature-induced structural phase transitions at 948 and 1198 K have been found. For polycrystallines the XPS and electrical resistivity measurements have been performed.     

Pressure-induced phase transition(s) in KMnF3 and the importance of the excess volume for phase transitions in perovskite structures

We report a pressure-dependent investigation of KMnF(3) by x-ray diffraction up to 30 GPa. The results are discussed in the framework of Landau theory and in relation to the isostructural phase transition in SrTiO(3). The phase transition temperature near 186 K in KMnF(3) shifts to room temperature at a critical pressure of P(c) = 3.4 GPa; the pressure dependence of the transition point follows ΔP(c)/ΔT(c) = 0.0315 GPa K(-1). The transition becomes second order under high pressure, close to the tricritical point. The phase transition is determined by the rotation of MnF(6) octahedra with their simultaneous expansion along the rotation axis. The rotation angle was found to increase to 10.5° at 24 GPa. An additional anomaly was observed at higher pressure around 25 GPa, suggesting a further phase transition.     

Proton-14N double resonance study of the structural phase transitions in the perovskite type layer compound (CH3NH3)2CdCl4

Using a proton-nitrogen double resonance technique we have determined the quadrupole coupling of¹⁴N in the room temperature orthorhombic (Cmca), the low temperature tetragonal (P4₂/ncm), and the monoclinic low temperature (P2₁/c) phases of (CH₃NH₃)₂CdCl₄. In all these phases all nitrogens are chemically equivalent demonstrating that the disorder in the orientations and H-bonding arrangements of the CH₃-NH₃ groups in theC m c a andP4₂/ncm phases is indeed dynamic and not static. In the monoclinic phase the¹⁴N quadrupole coupling constant equalse ² qQ/h=880 kHz and the asymmetry parameter is=0.20, wherease ² qQ/h=790 kHz,=0.1 in the tetragonal low temperature phase ande ² qQ/h=726 kHz,=0.21 in the room temperature orthorhombic phase. The observed increase in the¹⁴N quadrupole coupling constant on going from the orthorhombic phase to the tetragonal low temperature phase which is coupled with a simultaneous decrease in the asymmetry parameter can be understood in terms of a partial freezing in of the dynamic disorder in the C-N bond directions whereas the¹⁴N quadrupole coupling tensor in the monoclinic phase is characteristic of a frozen in C-N bond in a deformed lattice, where the N-H — Cl bonds are of different length.     

Magnetic phase transitions and iron valence in the double perovskite Sr 2 FeOsO 6

The insulating and antiferromagnetic double perovskite Sr₂FeOsO₆ has been studied by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy between 5 and 295 K. The iron atoms are essentially in the Fe^3?+? high spin $( {t_{2\mathrm{g}}{^3} e_\mathrm{g}{^2} } )$ and thus the osmium atoms in the Os $^{5+} ( {t_{2\mathrm{g}}{^3} } )$ state. Two magnetic phase transitions, which according to neutron diffraction studies occur below T _N?= 140 K and T ₂?= 67 K, give rise to magnetic hyperfine patterns, which differ considerably in the hyperfine fields and thus, in the corresponding ordered magnetic moments. The evolution of hyperfine field distributions, average values of the hyperfine fields, and magnetic moments with temperature suggests that the magnetic state formed below T _N is strongly frustrated. The frustration is released by a magneto-structural transition which below T ₂ leads to a different spin sequence along the c-direction of the tetragonal crystal structure.     

Pressure-induced spin transitions of iron in MgSiO3 perovskite: a GGA+U study

First-principles calculations using the GGA+U method have been made to investigate the spin transitions of iron in MgSiO₃ perovskite up to 120 GPa, with Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ at the A and B sites involving different substitution mechanisms and various charge compensation configurations. Our results, unlike those from previous local density approximation and generalized gradient approximation calculations, are now consistent with available experimental data for the spin states of Fe³⁺ in perovskite. In particular, our calculations show that both Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ at the A site do not exhibit any spin transition at the lower mantle conditions. However, Fe³⁺ at the B site in both (Mg_0.9375Al_0.0625)(Si_0.9375Fe_0.0625)O₃ and (Mg_0.9375Fe_0.0625)(Si_0.9375Fe_0.0625)O₃ undergoes a high-spin to low-spin transition at ～ 35 GPa, and this spin-transition pressure is largely independent on substitution mechanisms and charge compensation configurations.     

Raman study of phase transitions in KNbO3

The influence of grain size on the phase transitions of ferroelectric KNbO₃ was studied by micro Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the three transitions observed are not sharp for small particles (∼50 μm), indicating that they do not behave like bulk particles. The transition temperatures depend on the size and all particles show hysteresis. From these experiments we have obtained some evidence that in small particles monodomains of the rhombohedral and orthorhombic phases coexist in a range of temperatures.     

Successive phase transitions in the highly ordered complex perovskite PbLu1/2Nb1/2O3

The structural phase transitions and the electrical behaviour of the complex perovskite PbLu_1/2Nb_1/2O₃ have been investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, dielectric constant measurements, differential scanning calorimetry and measurement of the polarisation as a function of applied electric field. The high-temperature paraelectric phase is highly ordered. A first-order paraelectric-antiferroelectric phase transition occurs at 270°C and an antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition, characterised by dispersion in the curves of dielectric constant as a function of temperature, occurs at ≈ 30°C. The antiferroelectric phase is isostructural with the orthorhombic form of PbYb1/₂Nb1/₂O₃. The low-temperature ferroelectric phase also has an orthorhombic crystal structure.     

Structural phase transitions in KMnF3

The structural transitions of the perovskite KMnF₃ are studied with an energy-dispersive X-ray diffractometer. It is found that the 83 K transition is of first order, though the transition related to the condensation of a M₃-soft phonon mode is considerably affected by crystallographic domain-walls occurring below the 186 K transition. The latter transition is observed at 88.0 K (first-order), and 92.0 K (second-order) in different single crystals, respectively. The difference of the transition temperature and the transition order is interpreted in terms of inner strains appeared in the domain walls.     

Structural phase transitions in CdTiO3

The reconstructive phase transition from the ilmenite-like CdTiO₃ modification to the perovskite modification is investigated thoroughly. It is revealed that the reconstructive transition is determined by size effects, results in the formation of the closest packing of the ilmenite CdTiO₃ structure, and is irreversible with a decrease in temperature. The perovskite CdTiO₃ modification undergoes displacive structural phase transitions at temperatures of 110, 220, and 380°C. The first displacive phase transition is isostructural, whereas the second and third transitions are associated with rotations of oxygen octahedra.     

Structural,electronic, stability and reduction properties of perovskite surfaces: The case of rhombohedral BaCeO3

The (100), (110) and (111) surfaces of rhombohedral phase BaCeO₃ perovskite with two kinds of surface terminations are investigated using a periodic DFT + U method. We show that the lowest energy for surface formation via crystal cutting (cleavage energy) corresponds to (100) terminations. Out of all studied terminations, only BaO(100) and BaCeO(110) are stable with respect to precipitation of oxide phases and metals in respective ranges of oxygen chemical potentials, whereas CeO2(100) termination is not stable with respect to CeO₂ precipitation for all temperatures and oxygen partial pressures. Analyzing the electronic properties of the surfaces, we have established that reduction of the cerium oxidation state occurs in response to the local stoichiometry (lack of surface oxygen's, etc.) rather than as a result of breaking of cerium–oxygen bonds and formation of under-coordinated cerium ions. This equally applies to cerium reduction in the case of surface vacancy formation. We have calculated the vacancy formation energies as these can be viewed as a measure of surface activity in the catalytic reaction with various adsorbates. We find that CeO2 termination of the (100) surface and modified O2 termination of the (110) surface (O termination) have the lowest vacancy formation energies.     

A first-principles study of phase transitions in ultrathin films of BaTiO3

We determine the effects of film thickness, epitaxial strain and the nature of electrodes on ferroelectric phase transitions in ultrathin films of BaTiO₃ using a first-principles effective Hamiltonian in classical molecular dynamics simulations. We present results for polarization and dielectric properties as a function of temperature and epitaxial strain, leading to size-dependent temperature-strain phase diagram for the films sandwiched between ‘perfect’ electrodes. In the presence of non-vanishing depolarization fields when non-ideal electrodes are used, we show that a stable stripe-domain phase is obtained at low temperatures. The electrostatic images in the presence of electrodes and their interaction with local dipoles in the film explain these observed phenomena.      

Theory of the successive phase transitions in KNbO3

The microscopic mechanism of the successive cubic-tetragonal-orthorhombic-rhombohedral phase transitions in KNbO₃ is discussed quantitatively from the microscopic free energy based upon the mean field approximation where the Nb ions are displaced to create spontaneous deformations. From the calculation of the microscopic free energy, it is shown that the order of the phase transitions and the experimental values of the transition entropy in KNbO₃ are well explained by this model.     

Optical study of the phase transitions in LiKSO4

The birefringence of LiKSO₄ has been measured over the range 27–700°C. The change in birefringence with heating and cooling is seen to be very different. Observations have been made on domains in (001) and (100) plates near the phase transitions.     

14N NQR study of the structural phase transitions in NH4NO3

The temperature dependences of the¹⁴N nuclear quadrupole resonance frequencies have been measured in phases II, III, IV and V of ammonium nitrate with the help of the¹H–¹⁴H nuclear quadrupole double resonance technique. The experimental results are related to the proposed crystal structures and disorder in the various crystallographic phases.