Measurement of phonon dispersion relation in negative thermal expansion compound ZrW2O8

Unusual low-energy phonon dynamics in the negative thermal expansion compound ZrW2O8.

An infrared study of the phonon spectra of ZrW2O8 as a function of temperature which includes the low-energy (2-10 meV) region relevant to negative thermal expansion is reported and discussed in the context of specific heat and neutron density of state results. The prevalence of infrared active phonons at low energy and their observed temperature dependence are highly unusual and indicative of ...

Local vibrations and negative thermal expansion in ZrW2O8.

We present an x-ray pair distribution function (XPDF) analysis and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data for ZrW2O8 (10-500 K) with a focus on the stiffness of the Zr-O-W linkage. The XPDF is highly sensitive to W-Zr and W-W correlations, but much less so to O-O or W-O correlations. The Zr-W peak in the XPDF data has a weak temperature dependence and, hence, this linkage is rela...

The Route to Negative Thermal Expansion in ZrW2O8

Frustrated soft modes and negative thermal expansion in ZrW2O8.

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) in cubic ZrW2O8 has generated much interest due to its large, isotropic, and temperature independent behavior. Here, x-ray absorption fine structure data are presented for various atom pairs, providing evidence that the low-energy modes causing NTE correspond to the correlated vibrations of a WO4 tetrahedron and its three nearest ZrO6 octahedra. This involves tr...

Phonon anharmonicity and negative thermal expansion in SnSe

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