Structural modulation enables magneto-dielectric effect and enhanced photoactivity in ferroelectric bismuth iron niobate pyrochlore

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1263-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shujie Sun ◽  
Liuyang Zhu ◽  
Bolin Zhang ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
...  

A manipulative crystal structure in ferroelectric Bi pyrochlores can induce dielectric anomaly, magneto-dielectric effect, absorption anomaly and enhanced photoactivity.

2011 ◽  
Vol 684 ◽  
pp. 105-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Righi ◽  
Franca Albertini ◽  
Simone Fabbrici ◽  
Antonio Paoluzi

Multifunctional ferromagnetic shape memory Heusler alloys are frequently characterized by structural modulation in martensitic phases. In particular, modulated martensitic phases, showing the higher magnetic field induced strain (MFIS) performance, are the most promising candidates for technological applications. Depending on the composition, as well as pressure and temperature conditions, this periodic structural distortion, consisting of shuffling of atomic layers along defined crystallographic directions, accompanies the martensitic transformation. Over the years, different Ni-Mn-Ga modulated martensitic structures have been observed and classified depending upon the periodicity of corresponding ideal nM superstructure (where n indicates the number of basic unit cells constituting the superlattices). On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that in most cases such structural modulation is incommensurate and the crystal structure has been fully determined by applying superspace formalism. The results, obtained by structure refinements on powder diffraction data, suggest a unified crystallographic description of the modulated martensitic structures, here presented, where every different “nM” periodicity can be straightforwardly represented.


Author(s):  
Sergey Volkov ◽  
Rimma Bubnova ◽  
Maria Krzhizhanovskaya ◽  
Lydia Galafutnik

The first bismuth borate oxyiodide, Bi4BO7I, has been prepared by solid-state reaction in evacuated silica ampoules. Its crystal structure [space group Immm(00γ)000] comprises litharge-related layers of edge-sharing OBi4 tetrahedra; the interlayer space is filled by I− and [BO3]3− anions. The wavevector, q = 0.242 (3)c*, is very close to the rational value of c*/4, yet refinement based on commensurate modulation faces serious problems indicating the incommensurate nature of the modulation. The I-/[BO3]3− anions are ordered in a complex sequence along [001], i.e. –<–BO3–BO3–I–I–> n = 28–I–I–I–<–BO3–BO3–I–I–> n = 28–BO3–BO3–BO3–, leading to a structural modulation. The principal feature of the latter is the presence of –I–I–I– and –BO3–BO3–BO3– sequences that cannot be accounted for in the a × b × 4c supercell. The thermal expansion of Bi4BO7I is weakly anisotropic (αa  = 8, αb  = 15 and αc  = 17 × 10−6 K−1 at 500 K) which is caused by preferential orientation of the borate groups.


2008 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
Satoru Kaneko ◽  
Kensuke Akiyama ◽  
Takeshi Ito ◽  
Yasuo Hirabayashi ◽  
Hiroshi Funakubo ◽  
...  

Bismuth cuprate superconductor has a unique structure called a structural modulation (supercell, SC) consisting of modulated several unit cells. Strain induced by multilayered structure increases the intensity of SC modulation, while an oxygen deficient sample shows expansion of SC size. In this study, as opposed to the multilayer strain, by preparing samples with thick film thicknesses the effect of strain on crystal structure was investigated including SC structure. Epitaxial growth was verified by x-ray diffraction, and the thicker film showed other epitaxial phase rotated 32° around the surface normal with respect to the initial epitaxial phase. The SC size estimated by x-ray reciprocal space mapping was double the size of the initial epitaxial phase. Interestingly, the initial epitaxial phase became a dominant structure after further deposition. In order to evaluate the different SC size and SC modulation, a new index related with an incline of the modulation vector was proposed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 594-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Abrahams ◽  
J. Ravez ◽  
A. Simon ◽  
A. Reller ◽  
H. R. Oswald

The crystal structure of Cu(OH)2, recently redetermined at room temperature by Oswald, Reller, Schmalle & Dubler [Acta Cryst. (1990), C46, 2279–2284], is shown to satisfy the structural criteria for ferroelectricity. The Cu2+ ion at 295 K is displaced 0.131 Å from the most likely paraelectric atomic arrangement, allowing the prediction to be made that the ferroelectric Curie temperature is Tc = 343 K. This prediction is in excellent agreement with an earlier report of a reversible structural transition at 325–335 K in Cu(OH)2. The presence of a λ-shaped anomaly in the heat capacity at about 335 K has been confirmed, and a dielectric anomaly is also observed at similar temperatures over a wide frequency range; the frequency dependence is dispersive, owing at least partly to ionic conductivity. The prediction is hence verified, and Cu(OH)2 is demonstrated experimentally to be a new ferroelectric.


Author(s):  
Douglas L. Dorset ◽  
Anthony J. Hancock

Lipids containing long polymethylene chains were among the first compounds subjected to electron diffraction structure analysis. It was only recently realized, however, that various distortions of thin lipid microcrystal plates, e.g. bends, polar group and methyl end plane disorders, etc. (1-3), restrict coherent scattering to the methylene subcell alone, particularly if undistorted molecular layers have well-defined end planes. Thus, ab initio crystal structure determination on a given single uncharacterized natural lipid using electron diffraction data can only hope to identify the subcell packing and the chain axis orientation with respect to the crystal surface. In lipids based on glycerol, for example, conformations of long chains and polar groups about the C-C bonds of this moiety still would remain unknown.One possible means of surmounting this difficulty is to investigate structural analogs of the material of interest in conjunction with the natural compound itself. Suitable analogs to the glycerol lipids are compounds based on the three configurational isomers of cyclopentane-1,2,3-triol shown in Fig. 1, in which three rotameric forms of the natural glycerol derivatives are fixed by the ring structure (4-7).


Author(s):  
George G. Cocks ◽  
Louis Leibovitz ◽  
DoSuk D. Lee

Our understanding of the structure and the formation of inorganic minerals in the bivalve shells has been considerably advanced by the use of electron microscope. However, very little is known about the ultrastructure of valves in the larval stage of the oysters. The present study examines the developmental changes which occur between the time of conception to the early stages of Dissoconch in the Crassostrea virginica(Gmelin), focusing on the initial deposition of inorganic crystals by the oysters.The spawning was induced by elevating the temperature of the seawater where the adult oysters were conditioned. The eggs and sperm were collected separately, then immediately mixed for the fertilizations to occur. Fertilized animals were kept in the incubator where various stages of development were stopped and observed. The detailed analysis of the early stages of growth showed that CaCO3 crystals(aragonite), with orthorhombic crystal structure, are deposited as early as gastrula stage(Figuresla-b). The next stage in development, the prodissoconch, revealed that the crystal orientation is in the form of spherulites.


Author(s):  
F.-R. Chen ◽  
T. L. Lee ◽  
L. J. Chen

YSi2-x thin films were grown by depositing the yttrium metal thin films on (111)Si substrate followed by a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 450 to 1100°C. The x value of the YSi2-x films ranges from 0 to 0.3. The (0001) plane of the YSi2-x films have an ideal zero lattice mismatch relative to (111)Si surface lattice. The YSi2 has the hexagonal AlB2 crystal structure. The orientation relationship with Si was determined from the diffraction pattern shown in figure 1(a) to be and . The diffraction pattern in figure 1(a) was taken from a specimen annealed at 500°C for 15 second. As the annealing temperature was increased to 600°C, superlattice diffraction spots appear at position as seen in figure 1(b) which may be due to vacancy ordering in the YSi2-x films. The ordered vacancies in YSi2-x form a mesh in Si plane suggested by a LEED experiment.


Author(s):  
E.L. Benedetti ◽  
I. Dunia ◽  
Do Ngoc Lien ◽  
O. Vallon ◽  
D. Louvard ◽  
...  

In the eye lens emerging molecular and structural patterns apparently cohabit with the remnants of the past. The lens in a rather puzzling fashion sums up its own natural history and even transient steps of the differentiation are memorized. A prototype of this situation is well outlined by the study of the lenticular intercellular junctions. These membrane domains exhibit structural, biochemical and perhaps functional polymorphism reflecting throughout life the multiple steps of the differentiation of the epithelium into fibers and of the ageing process of the lenticular cells.The most striking biochemical difference between the membrane derived from the epithelium and from the fibers respectively, concerns the presence of the 26,000 molecular weight polypeptide (MP26) in the latter membranes.


Author(s):  
A. F. Marshall ◽  
J. W. Steeds ◽  
D. Bouchet ◽  
S. L. Shinde ◽  
R. G. Walmsley

Convergent beam electron diffraction is a powerful technique for determining the crystal structure of a material in TEM. In this paper we have applied it to the study of the intermetallic phases in the Cu-rich end of the Cu-Zr system. These phases are highly ordered. Their composition and structure has been previously studied by microprobe and x-ray diffraction with sometimes conflicting results.The crystalline phases were obtained by annealing amorphous sputter-deposited Cu-Zr. Specimens were thinned for TEM by ion milling and observed in a Philips EM 400. Due to the large unit cells involved, a small convergence angle of diffraction was used; however, the three-dimensional lattice and symmetry information of convergent beam microdiffraction patterns is still present. The results are as follows:1) 21 at% Zr in Cu: annealed at 500°C for 5 hours. An intermetallic phase, Cu3.6Zr (21.7% Zr), space group P6/m has been proposed near this composition (2). The major phase of our annealed material was hexagonal with a point group determined as 6/m.


Author(s):  
H.-J. Ou ◽  
J. M. Cowley

Using the dedicate VG-HB5 STEM microscope, the crystal structure of high Tc superconductor of YBa2Cu3O7-x has been studied via high resolution STEM (HRSTEM) imaging and nanobeam (∽3A) diffraction patterns. Figure 1(a) and 2(a) illustrate the HRSTEM image taken at 10' times magnification along [001] direction and [100] direction, respectively. In figure 1(a), a grain boundary with strong field contrast is seen between two crystal regions A and B. The grain boundary appears to be parallel to a (110) plane, although it is not possible to determine [100] and [001] axes as it is in other regions which contain twin planes [3]. Following the horizontal lattice lines, from left to right across the grain boundary, a lattice bending of ∽4° is noticed. Three extra lattice planes, indicated by arrows, were found to terminate at the grain boundary and form dislocations. It is believed that due to different chemical composition, such structure defects occur during crystal growth. No bending is observed along the vertical lattice lines.


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