Related papers: Clathrate formation in the systems Sr-Cu-Ge and {B…
We have prepared samples of nominal type Ba(8)Cu(x)Ge(46-x) by induction melting and solid state reaction. Analysis shows that these materials form type-I clathrates, with copper content between x = 4.9 and 5.3, nearly independent of the…
Thermoelectric properties of the type-I clathrates Ba$_8$Cu$_x$Si$_{46-x}$ ($3.6 \leq x \leq 7$, $x$ = nominal Cu content) are investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The polycrystalline samples are prepared either by melting,…
Understanding the covalent clathrate formation is a crucial point for the design of new superhard materials with intrinsic coupling of superhardness and metallic conductivity. Silicon clathrates have the archetype structures that can serve…
We report the electrical resistivity, Hall coefficient, thermoelectric power, specific heat, and thermal conductivity on single crystals of the type-VIII clathrate Ba8Ga16Sn30 grown from Sn-flux. Negative S and R_H over a wide temperature…
In the layered copper chromium dichalcogenide series CuCr$X_2$, the oxide, the sulfide, and the selenide analogues have been reported, but the telluride CuCrTe$_2$ has remained unsynthesized so far. Here, we report the synthesis of…
First thermoelectric properties measurements on bulk nanostructured Ba8Ga16Ge30 clathrate-I are presented. A sol-gel-calcination route was developed for preparing amorphous nanosized precursor oxides. The further reduction of the oxides led…
Clathrate hydrates are believed to play a significant role in various solar system environments, e.g. comets, and the surfaces and interiors of icy satellites, however the structural factors governing their formation and dissociation are…
Clathrates are a materials class with an extremely low phonon thermal conductivity, which is a key ingredient for a high thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Here, we present a study on the type-I clathrate…
Intermetallic type-I clathrates continue to attract attention as promising thermoelectric materials. Here we present structural and thermoelectric properties of single crystalline Ba8(Cu,Ga,Ge,v)46, where v denotes a vacancy. By single…
We report resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS), dilatometry/magnetostriction, magnetotransport, magnetization, specific heat, and $^{119}$Sn M\"ossbauer spectroscopy measurements on SnTe and Sn$_{0.995}$Cr$_{0.005}$Te. Hall measurements…
The crystal structure of barium-germanium clathrate Ba6Ge25 was studied using neutron powder diffraction in the temperature range 20-300K. The compound was found to be cubic (S.G. P4_1 23) in the entire temperature range. However, the…
We have grown intermetallic ErPd$_2$Si$_2$ single crystals employing laser-diodes with the floating-zone method. The temperature-dependent crystallography was determined using synchrotron and in-house X-ray powder diffraction measurements…
Evolutionary crystal structure prediction searches have been employed to explore the ternary Li-F-H system at 300 GPa. Metastable phases were uncovered within the static lattice approximation, with LiF$_3$H$_2$, LiF$_2$H, Li$_3$F$_4$H,…
The structural and electronic properties of the clathrate compounds Ba$_{8}$Al$_{x}$Si$_{46-x}$ and Sr$_{8}$Al$_{x}$Si$_{46-x}$ are studied from first principles, considering an Al content $x$ between 6 and 16. Due to the large number of…
SnTe, an archetypical topological crystalline insulator, often shows a transition from a highly symmetric cubic phase to a rhombohedral structure at low temperatures. In order to achieve the highly symmetric cubic phase at low temperatures…
The response to compression of the clathrate type-II structure Ge(cF136) is investigated by means of \textit{ab initio} small-cell metadynamics at different temperatures and pressures. At lower pressure $p$=2.5 GPa the metastable metallic…
Polycrystalline sample of superconducting ThIr$_{3}$ was obtained by arc-melting Th and Ir metals. Powder x-ray diffraction revealed that the compound crystalizes in a rhombohedral crystal structure (R-3m, s.g. no. 166) with the lattice…
A ternary type-I Si clathrate, K8AlxSi46-x, which is a candidate functional material composed of abundant non-toxic elements, was synthesized and its transport properties were investigated at temperatures ranging from 10 to 320 K. The…
The formation and presence of clathrate hydrates could influence the composition and stability of planetary ices and comets; they are at the heart of the development of numerous complex planetary models, all of which include the necessary…
An eutectic LiCl/KCl flux method in a horizontal configuration has been used to grow a series of homogeneous Fe$_{1+\delta}$Se$_{1-x}$Te$_x$ single crystals of high quality with 0.5 $\leq$ $x$ $\leq$ 1. Compared with previously used…