Phase transitions in RbCaF3. I: Optical studies

Phase transitions in RbCaF₃ have been investigated by optical birefringence measurements and Raman scattering experiments. A near discontinuity in the onset of spontaneous birefringence at 196 K shows that the cubic to tetragonal phase change is “slightly” first order. The Raman spectra of the tetragonal phase support a D¹⁸_4h structure in which two phonons of A_1g and E_g symmetry soften as the 196 K transition is approached from lower temperatures. A very slow transition to a lower symmetry structure was observed at about 42 K in the Raman measurements.     

Phase transitions in a ferromagnetic semiconductor. II

An analysis is given of the conditions for ferromagnetic phase transitions in a semiconductor containing magnetic ions.     

Phase transitions in two-dimensional uniformly frustratedXY models. II. General scheme

For two-dimensional uniformly frustratedXY models the group of symmetry spontaneously broken in the ground state is a cross product of the group of two-dimensional rotations by some discrete group of finite order. Different possibilities of phase transitions in such systems are investigated. The transition to the Coulomb gas with noninteger charges is widely used when analyzing the properties of relevant topological excitations. The number of these excitations includes not only domain walls and traditional (integer) vortices, but also vortices with a fractional number of circulation quanta which are to be localized at bends and intersections of domain walls. The types of possible phase transitions prove to be dependent on their relative sequence: in the case the vanishing of domain wall free energy occurs earlier (at increasing temperature) than the dissociation of pairs of ordinary vortices, the second phase transition is to be associated with dissociation of pairs of fractional vortices. The general statements are illustrated with a number of examples.     

Phase transitions in liquid 3He

The phase transitions of liquid 3He are described by truncations of an exact nonperturbative renormalization group equation. The location of the first-order transition lines and the jump in the order parameter are computed quantitatively. At the triple point we find indications of partially universal behavior. We suggest experiments that could help to determine the effective interactions between fermion pairs.     

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.     

Phase transitions in AgTaO3 single crystals

AgTaO₃ single crystals have been obtained by the molten salt method; two different solvents, AgCl and V₂O₅, were used. X-ray investigations have been carried out in the temperature region from 300 K to 800 K. At room temperature AgTaO₃ possesses a pseudocubic perovskite-type unit cell with rhombohedral distortion. Two structural phase transitions, to tetragonal at 650 K and to cubic symmetry at 770 K, have been observed. In the tetragonal phase a jump of the lattice constants has been observed at approximately 680 K. DTA and domain structure investigations confirm the presence of these phase transitions.     

Neutron scattering in intermetallics

Inelastic and elastic neutron scattering as a probe of long range and disordered magnetism is discussed for example cases in rare earth intermetallic crystalline compounds and amorphous analogues. The determination of the sublattice site magnetizations is illustrated for RFe₂ and Y₆(Mn_xFe_1−x)₂₃ compounds. The latter are shown to exhibit strong exchange disorder effects for intermediate compositions, as manifested by the development of short range antiferromagnetic clusters. The effect of randomization of the crystal field interaction in destroying long range order is illustrated in amorphous rare earth compounds and in rare earth compound hydrides. Results of inelastic scattering measurements on Laves phase Fe, Co, and Al compounds are summarized which yield exchange and crystal field parameters.     

Phase transitions in SrTiO3-based solid solutions

Phase transitions in solid solutions of strontium titanate with titanates of the divalent metals Pb, Ba, and Ca are considered. It is shown that the critical concentration x _c in the well-known expression relating the transition temperature to the polar state in SrTiO₃ with the concentration x of divalent metals, T _c=A(x−x _c)^1/2, is practically the same for all impurities. For large values of x, the ferroelectric transition temperature T _c depends linearly on x. The volume and impurity contributions to the T _c(x) relation are determined for this concentration range. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1645–1651 (September 1997)     

Phase transitions in NbSe3

We describe the physical properties of the transition metal trichalcogenide NbSe₃ including electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity. NbSe₃ undergoes phase transitions at 145 and 59 K. The effect of pressure on these transitions is also reported. We try to explain the physical properties of NbSe₃ in terms of the formation of charge density waves.     

Neutron scattering in superionic conductors

The coherent dynamical structure factor S(q,ω) of one-dimensional superionic conductors is studied in a model of Brownian particles with harmonic interactions moving in a periodic potential. We present results for the q-dependence of the halfwidth of the quasielastic peak, which reflects the commensurability ratios of the periodic potential and the molten sublattice. Furthermore the influence of the periodic potential on the collective excitations of the mobile ions is discussed.     

Neutron scattering study of the magnetoelectric compound GaFeO 3

We present a neutron scattering study carried out on single-crystals of the magnetoelectric compound GaFeO₃, prepared by the floating-zone (FZ) method. The refinement of the crystal structure indicates the existence of a large amount of iron on the gallium site, corresponding to a strong internal substitution disorder. We show that the Ga/Fe disorder and the magnetic transition temperature are weakly dependent on the growth conditions. The disorder also affects the magnetic excitations; our measurements evidence damped spin waves, well defined only close to the Brillouin zone centre.     

Neutron scattering from FeSi

The inelastic neutron scattering from the unusual paramagnet FeSi has been measured at temperatures of up to 700 K in order to investigate the possible existence of a local magnetic moment at high temperatures. The estimated intensities of the central peaks around $\text{h}\text{?}\text{ω = 0}$ and the nearly constant backgrounds ($\text{h}\text{?}\text{ω ? 16 meV}$) indicate that the paramagnetic state above 600 K in FeSi cannot be interpreted in terms of a simple localized spin model with $\text{S ～}\text{1}\text{2}$.     

Neutron scattering study of the field-induced soliton lattice in CuGeO3

CuGeO3 undergoes a transition from a spin-Peierls phase to an incommensurate phase at a critical field of H(c) approximately 12.5 T. In the high-field phase a lattice of solitons forms, with both structural and magnetic components, and these have been studied using neutron scattering techniques. Our results provide direct evidence for a long-ranged magnetic soliton structure which has both staggered and uniform magnetizations with amplitudes that are broadly in accord with theoretical estimates. The magnetic soliton width gamma(m) and the field dependence of the incommensurability deltak(SP) are found to agree well with theoretical predictions.     

Phase transitions in PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3

Ordered and partially ordered PbSc_0.5Ta_0.5O₃ ferroelectric single crystals are studied by diffraction, electrophysical, and optical methods. X-ray diffraction and electrophysical methods indicate the presence of a phase transition in the low-temperature range (at T = ?40°C).     

Phase transitions and reflection positivity. II. Lattice systems with short-range and Coulomb interactions

We discuss applications of the abstract scheme of part I of this work, in particular of infrared bounds and chessboard estimates, to proving the existence of phase transitions in lattice systems. Included are antiferromagnets in an external field, hard-core exclusion models, classical and quantum Coulomb lattice gases, and six-vertex models.Research partially supported by Canadian National Research Council Grant A4015 and U.S. National Science Foundation Grants PHY-77-18762, MCS-75-21684-A02, and MCS-78-01885.     

Neutron and proton components of nuclear transitions in pion inelastic scattering on 26Mg

The elastic and inelastic scattering of 180 MeV positive and negative pions from ²⁶Mg has been measured. From these data the ratios of neutron and proton nuclear transition matrix elements have been determined for the first and second excited states. These ratios are compared with those obtained from electromagnetic transitions in mirror nuclei and with shell model predictions.     

Phase transitions in SbSI

In ferroelectric SbSI the phase transitions are studied by means of precise birefringence measurement. It is observed that the transition from D^162h phase to C⁹_2v phase occurs at 15.70°C. At ? 36.61°C, the second order transition from C⁹_2v phase to C¹_s or C²_s phase is observed. From the behavior of birefringence near the second order transition point, the mechanism of the phase transition in SbSI is considered.