Crystal structure of the ceramic superconductor BaPb0.75Bi0.25O3

The ceramic superconductor BaPb_0.75Bi_0.25O₃ is monoclinic atT<430 K with space groupI2/m. Lattice constants and the atomic coordinates result from 20 reflection groups (12<2<120°, =1.1267 Å) collected with a high resolution powder diffractometer using a synchrotron radiation source and a full neutron powder pattern (6<2<140, =1.909 Å). Synchrotron and neutron data were simtultaneously refined with SIMREF, a new profile refinement program, based on the Rietveld method. Group theoretical analysis of the distortion field leading from the ideal perovskite structure toI2/m exhibitsR ₄ ⁺ symmetry. A comparison is made with the corresponding distortions in nonsuperconducting BaBiO₃ where three different symmetry types are identified. The space groupI2/m found for BaPb_0.75Bi_0.25O₃ allows only one type of averaged (Pb/Bi)O₆ octahedron in the structure: this may support valence fluctuations and hence contribute to the mechanism of superconductivity in this particular compound.