Neutron powder diffraction study of the superconducting quaternary intermetallic compound YNi2B2C

B. C. Chakoumakos, M. Paranthaman

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Abstract

The crystal structure of YNi2B2C has been refined at room temperature using powder neutron diffraction data obtained from samples prepared by arc-melting. The nominal composition YNi3B2.5C yields a phase assemblage of principally 85 volume % YNi2B2C relative to Ni2B, and the YNi2.5B2C composition yields 93 volume % relative to 7 volume % Ni3B. YNi2B2C is apparently incongruently melting. The crystal structure is simply viewed as a "stuffed" derivative of the common layered ThCr2Si2-type structure, by inserting C atoms in the lanthanide (actinide) layer. Structural data for the most phase-pure title compound include: I4/mmm symmetry, a=3.5257(1) A ̊, c=10.5336(4) A ̊ and x(B)=0.3589(4). The atomic sites appear to be fully occupied, and there is no indication of B↔Ni disorder. The arc-melted YNi3B2.5C (nominal) sample has a superconducting Tc of 15.6 K, as defined by the onset of diamagnetism.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)143-150
Number of pages8
JournalPhysica C: Superconductivity and its Applications
Volume227
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 20 1994

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