Temperature dependences of the parameters of atoms in the crystal structure of the intermediate-valence semiconductor SmB<sub>6</sub>: investigation by high-resolution powder neutron diffraction
V A Trounov; A L Malyshev; D Yu Chernyshov; M M Korsukova; V N Gurin; L A Aslanov; V V Chernyshev; V A Trounov; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia; A L Malyshev; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia; D Yu Chernyshov; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia; M M Korsukova; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia; V N Gurin; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia; L A Aslanov; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia; V V Chernyshev; Nucl. Phys. Inst., Russian Acad. of Sci., Gatchina, Russia
Журнал:
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
Дата:
1993-04-19
Аннотация:
The crystal structure of intermediate-valence (IV) samarium hexaboride has been studied on single-crystal double-isotope samples <sup>154</sup>Sm<sup>11</sup>B<sub>6</sub> by X-ray diffractometry at room temperature and by high-resolution powder neutron diffraction in the temperature range 23 K<or=T<or=300 K. The X-ray experiment revealed the occurrence of vacancies at the boron site, larger thermal vibrations of the Sm atom than of La in the isostructural non-IV material LaB<sub>6</sub> and an aspherical charge distribution around the Sm nucleus. The neutron diffraction experiment confirmed the anomalous temperature dependence of the lattice parameter and revealed both a peculiar temperature dependence of the anisotropic thermal vibrations of the boron atom and a temperature-dependent change in the ratio of the isotropic thermal parameters of the Sm and B atoms. Thermal vibrations of the Sm ion can be satisfactorily described by the Einstein model with characteristic temperature Theta <sub>E</sub> approximately=120 K within the whole temperature range. The data obtained are discussed in terms of the influence of the fluctuating valence of the Sm ion on the structural parameters of atoms.
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