Inhomogeneous lattice distortions in the Zn0.99Cd0.01Se crystal

The structural state of a Zn_0.99Cd_0.01Se crystal at temperatures of 78 and 300 K has been investigated using thermal neutron diffraction. It has been found that the diffraction patterns of the crystal contain diffuse scattering regions in the vicinity of the basic structure reflections, which are independent of temperature. It has been shown that the effects of diffuse scattering are caused by transverse displacements of lattice atoms, which are induced by impurities of the Cd²⁺ ions whose sizes substantially exceed the sizes of the Zn²⁺ ions. The obtained results have been used to construct a picture of the influence of cadmium ions on the structural state of the crystal under study.