• Martin, Nicolas P.
• Sibille, Romain
• Clausse, Thomas
• Mazet, Thomas
• Diop, Léopold V. B.

Abstract

<jats:p>The discovery of a new quaternary intermetallic compound of composition Zr<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>Mn<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>Sn<jats:sub>4</jats:sub>Ga during a survey of the Zr–Mn–Sn–Ga phase diagram is reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that the new compound crystallizes in a hexagonal lattice (space group <jats:italic>P</jats:italic>6<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>/<jats:italic>mmc</jats:italic>, No. 194). The analysis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data indicates that the atomic arrangement is an ordered variant of the high-temperature hexagonal Ti<jats:sub>6</jats:sub>Sn<jats:sub>5</jats:sub> crystal structure. From a simple geometry point of view, the unit cell consists of GaZr<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> octahedra chains and Mn chains growing along the sixfold symmetry axis <jats:italic>c</jats:italic>. The Mn chains are stacked within the <jats:italic>ab</jats:italic> basal plane in a kagome geometry, with large interatomic distances. The possible slight levels of Sn/Ga and Zr/Mn mixed occupancy based on additional results of electron probe microanalysis and single-crystal neutron diffraction are discussed. It is noteworthy that this compound is the first quaternary intermetallic discovered in this structure and the first Ti<jats:sub>6</jats:sub>Sn<jats:sub>5</jats:sub> derivative bearing a magnetic metal, namely Mn, in the 6<jats:italic>g</jats:italic> position, which may give rise to interesting physical properties.</jats:p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• compound
• phase
• x-ray diffraction
• neutron diffraction
• intermetallic
• phase diagram
• metal-matrix composite
• space group