Structural phase transition behaviour of Zn4Sb3 and its substitutional compounds (Zn1.98M0.02)4Sb3 (M= Al, Ga and In) at low temperatures
Liu Feng(刘峰)a)b), Qin Xiao-Ying(秦晓英)a)†, and Liu Mian (刘冕)a)
a Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; b Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Wuhu 241000, China
Abstract Structural phase transitions of Zn4Sb3 and its substitutional compounds (Zn1.98M0.02)4Sb3 (M= Al, Ga and In) are investigated by electrical transport measurement and differential scanning calorimetry below room temperature. The results indicate that both $\beta$ → $\alpha$ and $\alpha$ → $\alpha'$ phase transitions of Zn4Sb3 are reversible and exothermic processes, which may be explained as that both the transitions originate from the ordering of the disordered interstitial Zn and vacancies in regular sizes. The derived activation energies of $\beta$ → $\alpha$ and $\alpha$ → $\alpha'$ phase transition processes for Zn4Sb3 are $E_1=3.9$ eV and $E_2=4.1$ eV, respectively. Although no remarkable influence on activation energy $E_2$ is observed after Al doping, Al substitution for Zn causes $E_1$ to increase to 4.6 eV, implying its suppression of $\beta \leftrightarrow \alpha$ transition to a great extent. Moreover, it is found that both $\beta \leftrightarrow \alpha$ and $\alpha \leftrightarrow \alpha'$ transitions are completely prohibited by substitution of either In or Ga for Zn in Zn4Sb3. The underlying mechanisms for these phenomena are discussed.
Received: 27 April 2008
Revised: 28 April 2009
Accepted manuscript online:
Fund: Project
supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant
No 10774145).
Cite this article:
Liu Feng(刘峰), Qin Xiao-Ying(秦晓英), and Liu Mian (刘冕) Structural phase transition behaviour of Zn4Sb3 and its substitutional compounds (Zn1.98M0.02)4Sb3 (M= Al, Ga and In) at low temperatures 2009 Chin. Phys. B 18 4386
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