Effects of Electron Irradiation on Nematic-Like Phase Transition in BaNi<sub>2</sub>P<sub>4</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

We present the results of an experimental study of a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition with rather high transition temperature (TTO ~380 K) in the clathrate material BaNi2P4. The transition is accompanied by formation of structural domain patterns which are revealed in polarized optics studies. The electrical resistivity shows metallic behavior both above and below TTO. The transition temperature is notably affected by the low-temperature (20 K) irradiation with relativistic 2.5 MeV electrons. Additional insight into the nature of the transition is obtained from Hall effect measurements and band structure calculations. Similarity to the behavior found in the parent compounds of iron based superconductors will be discussed.

*This work was supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, BES Materials Science and Engineering Division under contract DE-AC02-07CH11358.

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Presenters

  • Elizabeth Krenkel

    • Ames Lab

Authors

  • Elizabeth Krenkel

    • Ames Lab

  • Makariy A Tanatar

    • Ames Lab
    • Ames Laboratory
    • Ames Laboratory and Iowa state University, Ames, USA

  • Erik I Timmons

    • Ames Lab
    • Iowa State University/Ames Laboratory

  • Jian Wang

    • Ames Lab

  • Lin-Lin Wang

    • Ames Lab
    • Ames Laboratory
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University/Ames Laboratory

  • Kirill Kovnir

    • Ames Lab

  • Ruslan Prozorov

    • Ames Lab
    • Ames laboratory, Ames, IA
    • Ames Laboratory
    • Ames Laboratory and Iowa state University, Ames, USA
    • Iowa State University/Ames Laboratory

  • Marcin Konczykowski

    • Ecole Polytechnique
    • Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
    • Laboratoire des Solides Irradies, Ecole Polytechnique
    • LSI, Ecole Polytechnique
    • Laboratoire des solides irradiées, L'École Polytechnique