Can Periodicity of Crystals Coexist with a Glasslike Network?

Ishii Yui, Mori Shigeo

doi:10.11316/butsuri.78.12_700

<p>Structural quantum phase transitions have received less attention thus far than magnetic quantum phases and remain an unexplored research field in materials science. Here, we report the nature of two structural quantum materials, Ba_1-xSr_xAl₂O₄ and(Sr_1-xCa_x)₃Rh₄Sn₁₃. Both compounds show structural phase transitions for which acoustic-type soft modes are responsible, and the structural quantum critical points (sQCPs) appear by chemical substitution. Using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, pair distribution function analysis, and inelastic neutron scattering, we demonstrate that a glasslike atomic network is realized at the sQCP of Ba_1-xSr_xAl₂O₄. This glassy state dampens all phonons in the whole energy range, resulting in the excess lattice-specific heat at low temperatures. Similar excess in the lattice-specific heat is also observed for (Sr_1-xCa_x)₃Rh₄Sn₁₃. We believe that the glassy phonon properties should be the essential nature of the sQCP associated with the soft acoustic mode.</p>

Can Periodicity of Crystals Coexist with a Glasslike Network?

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