The study of the vibrational spectra of NH4Cl and NH4Br at high pressures

The vibrational spectra of NH₄Cl at pressures of up to 2.6 GPa and of NH₄Br at pressures of up to 7 GPa are investigated by the method of inelastic incoherent scattering of neutrons. It is found that a linear baric dependence of a librational mode changes its slope above the pressure of transition from a disordered cubic phase into an ordered cubic phase with a CsCl-type structure. The slope of the baric dependence of the transverse optical translational mode remains invariant. Estimates for the Grüneisen parameters are presented and the shape of the potential function is calculated in the one-dimensional approximation for librational vibrations in disordered and ordered cubic phases with a CsCl-type structure. It is shown that the phenomena observed are attributed to the high anharmonicity in the disordered phase.     

Landau-type pressure dependence of the order parameter: application to the ferroelectric-paraelectric pressure-induced transition in KNbO3

Following the Landau model, the pressure–temperature dependence of the order parameter is derived. Using the Lyddane–Sachs–Teller (LST) relationship, the model is applied to ferroelectricity to deduce the pressure behaviour of the soft mode driving the transition. Comparison with experiment is made using recent data obtained on KNbO₃ under pressure over a large temperature range. The results indicate that the ferroelectric–paraelectric (FE–PE) transition observed in KNbO₃ at high pressure from ～4 to ～25?GPa is of the second-order type.     

Structure and soft mode behavior of two chalcogenide crystals

The crystal structures of T?₃PSe₄ and T?₃AsS₄ have been determined by x-ray diffraction techniques. These isomorphous materials are layered, with orthorhombic Pcmn symmetry. Ultrasonic measurements have shown that the $\text{a}$$\text{b}$ shear mode velocity is anomalously low for both materials. Measurements at high pressure on T?₃PSe₄ have shown that the anomalous shear velocity softens to zero at 1.40 ± 0.01 GPa, indicating a second- order structural transition at that pressure.     

High pressure studies on the electrical resistivity of Ge–Te–Tl glasses

The variation of electrical resistivity in the system of glasses Ge₁₇Te_83?xTl_x, with (1≤x≤13), has been studied as a function of high pressure for pressures up to 10 GPa. It is found that the normalized electrical resistivity decreases continuously with the increase in pressure and shows a sudden drop at a particular pressure (transition pressure), indicating the presence of a transition from semiconductor to near-metallic at these pressures which are in the range 3.0–5.0 GPa. This transition pressure is seen to decrease with the increase in the percentage content of thallium due to increasing metallicity of the thallium. The transition is reversible under application of pressure and X-ray diffraction of samples recovered after pressurization show that they remain amorphous after undergoing a pressurization decompression cycle.     

Elastic properties study of single crystal NH3 up to 26 GPa

Single crystal Brillouin and Raman scattering measurements on NH₃ in a diamond anvil cell have been performed under pressures up to 26 GPa at room temperature. The pressure dependencies of acoustic velocity, adiabatic elastic constants, and bulk moduli of ammonia from liquid to solid III and solid IV phase have been determined. All the nine elastic constants in orthorhombic structure phase IV were presented for the first time, each elastic constant grows monotonously with pressure and a crossover of the off‐diagonal moduli C₁₂ and C₁₃ was observed at around 12 GPa because of their different pressure derivative values. We also performed ab initio simulations to calculate the bulk elastic moduli for orthorhombic ammonia, the calculated bulk moduli agree well with experimental results. In Raman spectra the very weak bending modes ν₂ and ν₄ for orthorhombic ammonia are both observed at room temperature, a transition point near 12 GPa is also found from the pressure evolution of the Raman bands. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

z切LiTaO3单晶的冲击相变研究

利用二级轻气炮加载下的冲击Hugoniot线(冲击波速度D-粒子速度u关系)和粒子速度剖面测量，结合基于密度泛函理论的平面波赝势计算研究了z切LiTaO₃单晶的高压相变.实验发现，D-u关系在u=0.95km/s附近出现明显拐折；实测波剖面中25.9 GPa和32.6 GPa时观测到弹-塑性双波结构，而终态压力为42.7 GPa和53.0 GPa时则为三波结构.上述结果都清楚地表明z切LiTaO₃单晶冲击相变的发生，相变起始压力约为37.9 GPa.同时，理论计算的菱形相(R3c对称群)压缩线与低压实验数据符合较好，而正交相(Pbnm对称群)压缩线则与扣除热压贡献的高压实验数据相符，由此推断z-切LiTaO₃的高压相为正交结构.从实验和理论上澄清了z切LiTaO₃的相变起始压力和高压相晶体结构的认识，研究工作亦对类似单晶材料的冲击相变研究有参考价值.     

High-pressure phases of plutonium monoselenide studied by X-ray diffraction

Abstract

Plutonium monoselenide was studied under high pressure up to 47 GPa, at room temperature, using a diamond anvil cell in an energy dispersive X-ray diffraction facility. At ambient pressure, PuSe has the NaC1-type (B1) structure. The compound has been found to undergo a second-order crystallographic phase transition at around 20 GPa. This phase can be described as a distorted B1 structure, with a rhombohedral symmetry. PuSe transforms to a new phase at around 35 GPa, which can be indexed in the cubic CsCl-type (B2). The volume collapse at this phase transition is 11%. When releasing pressure, we observed a strong hysteresis to the inverse transformation down to 5 GPa. From the pressure-volume relationship, the bulk modulus has been determined to B ₀ = 98 GPa and its pressure derivative as B ₀ = 2.6. These results are compared to those obtained with other actinide monmictides and monochalcogenides.     

High-pressure X-ray near-edge absorption study of thallium rhenium oxide up to 10.86 GPa

High-pressure X-ray near-edge absorption measurements have been performed on thallium rhenium oxide (TlReO₄) up to 10.86?GPa at room temperature and in a diamond-anvil cell. At ～10?GPa, TlReO₄ undergoes a large volume collapse and a striking optical transition, changing from transparent to opaque. A model has been proposed by Jayaraman et al. that the high-pressure phase transition is associated with a charge transfer from the thallium to rhenium atom; Tl¹⁺(Re⁷⁺O₄)^?1?→?Tl³⁺(Re⁵⁺O₄)^?3 and an accompanying truly octahedral coordination of the rhenium atom with respect to the surrounding oxygen cage. In this article, we find a significant broadening of ～1.5?eV of the white-line feature at the rhenium L₃(2p_3/2?→?5d) absorption-edge above this transition, and no evidence for the proposed valence change.     

A high pressure Raman study of KTP and pressure induced phase transitions

Potassium titanate orthrophosphate KTiOPO₄ (KTP) has been studied by high pressure Raman technique to 17 GPa using a diamond cell. The Raman data reveal that two phase transitions occur in the system: one near 5.5 GPa and another near 10 GPa. The Lower-pressure transition is definitely first-order but appears to be driven by the phonon mode near 56 cm⁻¹, which exhibits marked softening. A mean field-like behavior is observed. It is hypothesized that this transition is likely to be from ferroelectric (FE) to an antiferroelectric (AF) phase. The 10 GPa transition may be due to AF-PE (paraelectric) transition driven by pressure from high temperature to room temperature. From the larger pressure responce of the PO₄ vibrational modes it is believed that the PO₄ polyhedral compression is larger than the TiO₆ polyhedral compression. leading to polyhedral tilt transitions.     

Study of phase transition on nanocrystalline (La, Sr)(Mn, Fe)O system using high-pressure Mössbauer spectroscopy and high-pressure X-ray diffraction

Pressure-induced structural changes on nano-crystalline La_0.8Sr_0.2Mn_0.8Fe_0.2O₃ were studied using high-pressure Mössbauer spectroscopy and high-pressure X-ray diffraction. Mössbauer measurements up to 10 GPa showed first order transition at 0.52 GPa indicating transformation of Fe^4?+? to high spin Fe^3?+?, followed by another subtle transition at 3.7 GPa due to the convergence of two different configurations of Fe into one. High-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements carried up to 4.3 GPa showed similar results at 0.6 GPa as well as 3.6 GPa. Attempts were made to explain the changes at 0.6 GPa by reorientation of grain/grain boundaries due to uniaxial stress generated on the application of pressure. Similarly variation at 3.6 GPa can be explained by orthorhombic to monoclinic transition.     

Ionic conduction and effect of cation doping in Tl<Subscript>4</Subscript>HgI<Subscript>6</Subscript>

The ionic conduction properties of undoped and doped Tl₄HgI₆ were investigated using electrical conductivity, dielectrics, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The heavy Tl⁺-ions diffusion was activated at high temperature, whereas low conductivity at the lower temperature suggested electronic contribution in undoped Tl₄HgI₆. The partial replacement of heavy Tl⁺ ion by suitable cations (Ag⁺ and Cu⁺) enhanced the conductivity by several orders of magnitude, whereas diminution in conductivity results with increasing dopants’ concentration in Tl₄HgI₆. These results can be interpreted in terms of a lattice contraction and vacancy–vacancy interaction (leading to the cluster formation), respectively. The dielectric values of undoped Tl₄HgI₆ system gradually increasing with temperature, followed by a sharp change, were observed around 385 K and can be explained on the basis of increasing number of space charge polarization and ions jump orientation effects. The activation energy of undoped and doped Tl₄HgI₆ systems were calculated, and it was found that ionic conductivity activation energy for 5 mol% of cation dopants is much lower than that of undoped one, and also 10 mol% doped Tl₄HgI₆ systems.     

High-pressure Raman and infrared study of ZrV 2O7

The room-temperature Raman and infrared spectra of zirconium vanadate (ZrV ₂O₇) were observed up to pressures of 12 GPa and 5.7 GPa, respectively. The frequencies of the optically active modes at ambient pressure were calculated using direct methods and compared with experimental values. Average mode Grüneisen parameters were calculated for the Raman and infrared active modes. Changes in the spectra under pressure indicate a phase transition at ∼1.6 GPa, which is consistent with the previously observed α (cubic) to β (pseudo-tetragonal) phase transition, and changes in the spectra at ∼4 GPa are consistent with an irreversible transformation to an amorphous structure.     

Raman spectra of MgB2 at high pressure and topological electronic transition

Raman spectra of MgB₂ ceramic samples were measured as a function of pressure up to 32 GPa at room temperature. The spectrum at normal conditions contains a very broad peak at ∼590 cm⁻¹ related to the E _2g phonon mode. The frequency of this mode exhibits a strong linear dependence in the pressure region from 5 to 18 GPa, whereas, beyond this region, the slope of the pressure-induced frequency shift is reduced by about a factor of two. The pressure dependence of the phonon mode up to ∼5 GPa exhibits a change in the slope, as well as a “hysteresis” effect in the frequency vs. pressure behavior. These singularities in the E _2g mode behavior under pressure support the suggestion that MgB₂ may undergo a pressure-induced topological electronic transition.     

冲击压缩下聚四氟乙烯电阻率及冲击绝热线的实验研究

 实验测量了国产聚四氟乙烯（SFB-1）在15~40 GPa冲击压力范围内的电阻率及冲击压缩线。主要的实验结果是：电阻率是冲击压力的单调递减函数，其数值在2.45×10⁵~1.73×10³ Ω&#8226;cm之间变化；冲击压缩线可用D=1.571+1.961u-0.0537u²表示（D，u分别为冲击波速度及粒子速度，单位均为km/s）。与其他作者发表的数据相比，发现不同制造厂家生产的聚四氟乙烯材料的电阻常数数值有一定的差别，但其以D-u关系表示的冲击压缩线没有出现可以察觉的变化。     

High-pressure Raman study of SnGeS3

Abstract

We report Raman-scattering studies of SnGeS₃ under hydrostatic pressures up to 19.5 GPa. An assignment to internal-external modes is proposed, based on the pressure slopes obtained. Our data show evidence for two critical pressures, one around 7 GPa and a second one around 12 GPa. The material renders itself Raman inactive at 19.5 GPa. The observed changes are reversible upon pressure release.     

Electrical conductivity and amorphization of Sc2(WO4)3 at high pressures and temperatures

Impedance spectroscopy measurements and synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies of Sc₂(WO₄)₃ at 400°C have been carried out as a function of pressure up to 4.4 GPa. Ionic conductivity shows normal decrease with increase in pressure up to 2.9 GPa, but then increases at higher pressures. The XRD results show that Sc₂(WO₄)₃ undergoes pressure-induced amorphization at pressures coincident with the reversal in conductivity behavior. The loss of crystal structure at high pressure is consistent with growing evidence of pressure-induced amorphization in negative thermal expansion materials, such as Sc₂(WO₄)₃. The increase in conductivity in the amorphized state is interpreted as the result of an increase in structural entropy and a concomitant reduction of energy barriers for ionic transport.     

Spectroscopic study ofβ-Ni(OH)2 under pressure

Infrared absorption and Raman study ofβ-Ni(OH)₂ has been carried out up to 25 GPa and 33 GPa, respectively. The frequency ofA _2u internal antisymmetric stretching O-H mode decreases linearly with pressure at a rate of −0.7 cm⁻1/GPa. The FWHM of this mode increases continuously with pressure and reaches a value of ∼ 120 cm⁻¹ around 25 GPa. There was no discernible change observed in the frequency and width of the symmetric stretchingA _1g O-H Raman mode up to 33 GPa. The constancy of the Raman mode is taken as a signature of the repulsion produced by H-H contacts in this material under pressure. Lack of any discontinuity in these modes suggests that there is no phase transition in this material in the measured pressure range.     

High-precision measurements of the compressibility and the electrical resistivity of bulk <Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-As<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript> glasses at a hydrostatic pressure up to 8.5 GPa

High-precision studies of the volume and the electrical resistivity of g-As₂Te₃ glasses at a high hydrostatic pressure up to 8.5 GPa at room temperature are performed. The glasses exhibit elastic behavior in compression only at a pressure up to 1 GPa, and a diffuse structural transformation and inelastic density relaxation (logarithmic in time) begin at higher pressures. When the pressure increases further, the relaxation rate passes through a sharp maximum at 2.5 GPa, which is accompanied by softening the relaxing bulk modulus, and then decreases, being noticeable up to the maximum pressure. When pressure is relieved, an unusual inflection point is observed in the baric dependence of the bulk modulus near 4 GPa. The polyamorphic transformation is only partly reversible and the residual densification after pressure release is 2%. In compression, the electrical resistivity of the g-As₂Te₃ glasses decreases exponentially with increasing pressure (at a pressure up to 2 GPa); then, it decreases faster by almost three orders of magnitude in the pressure range 2–3.5 GPa. At a pressure of 5 GPa, the electrical resistivity reaches 10^–3 Ω cm, which is characteristic of a metallic state; this resistivity continues to decrease with increasing pressure and reaches 1.7 × 10^–4 Ω cm at 8.1 GPa. The reverse metal–semiconductor transition occurs at a pressure of 3 GPa when pressure is relieved. When the pressure is decreased to atmospheric pressure, the electrical resistivity of the glasses is below the initial pressure by two–three orders of magnitude. Under normal conditions, both the volume and the electrical resistivity relax to quasi-equilibrium values in several months. Comparative structural and Raman spectroscopy investigations demonstrate that the glasses subjected to high pressure have the maximum chemical order. The glasses with a higher order have a lower electrical resistivity. The polyamorphism in the As₂Te₃ glasses is caused by both structural changes and chemical ordering. The g-As₂Te₃ compound is the first example of glasses, where the reversible metallization under pressure has been studied under hydrostatic conditions.     

High pressure X-ray diffraction study of CdAl2Se4 and Raman study of AAl2Se4 (A=Hg, Zn) and CdAl2X4 (X=Se, S)

We report the results of an X-ray diffraction study of CdAl₂Se₄ and of Raman studies of HgAl₂Se₄ and ZnAl₂Se₄ at room temperature, and of CdAl₂S₄ and CdAl₂Se₄ at 80 K at high pressure. The ambient pressure phase of CdAl₂Se₄ is stable up to a pressure of 9.1 GPa above which a phase transition to a disordered rock salt phase is observed. A fit of the volume pressure data to a Birch-Murnaghan type equation of state yields a bulk modulus of 52.1 GPa. The relative volume change at the phase transition at ∼9 GPa is about 10%. The analysis of the Raman data of HgAl₂Se₄ and ZnAl₂Se₄ reveals a general trend observed for different defect chalcopyrite materials. The line widths of the Raman peaks change at intermediate pressures between 4 and 6 GPa as an indication of the pressure induced two stage order-disorder transition observed in these materials. In addition, we include results of a low temperature Raman study of CdAl₂S₄ and CdAl₂Se₄, which shows a very weak temperature dependence of the Raman-active phonon modes.     

A high pressure Raman study of terbium molybdate

Abstract

Tb₂(MoO₄)₃ has been studied by Raman spectroscopy under hydrostatic pressure up to 9 GPa at room temperature. The measurements reveal two phase transitions, one at around 2 GPa and another one above 5 GPa. The first phase transition is associated with an increase in the coordination number of Mo while the second is probably a transition to an amorphous phase in which only a wide band originating from Mo-O vibrations remains. This behaviour is irreversible as the Raman spectrum of the initial structure is not recovered at atmospheric pressure.