Crystal-structure modulation in the anomalous low-temperature phase of PrFe4P12

• Published in: Physica. B, Condensed matter Vol. 312-313; pp. 834 - 836
• Main Authors: Iwasa, K., Watanabe, Y., Kuwahara, K., Kohgi, M., Sugawara, H., Matsuda, T.D., Aoki, Y., Sato, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-03-2002
• Subjects: Crystal-structure modulation; Nesting of Fermi surface; PrFe4P12; X-ray diffraction; PrFe4P12; Crystal-structure modulation; Nesting of Fermi surface
• ISSN: 0921-4526; 1873-2135
• DOI: 10.1016/S0921-4526(01)01265-0

Nature of mysterious phase transition of the filled-skutterudite PrFe4P12 has been studied by X-ray diffraction experiments. Superlattice reflections characterized by a wave vector q=(1,0,0) were observed below the transition temperature of 6.5 K at zero magnetic field. The observed pattern in the reciprocal space is explained by the formation of modulated structure with dominant Fe-ion displacements by about 0.02% of the lattice constant. This result is consistent with the theoretically predicted nesting of Fermi surface producing a gap formation in electronic structure.