Structures of distorted phases and critical and noncritical atomic displacements of elpasolite Rb₂KInF₆ during phase transitions

Abstract

The structures of all three phases of the Rb₂KInF₆ crystal have been determined from the experimental X-ray diffraction data for the powder sample. The refinement of the profile and structural parameters has been carried out by the technique implemented in the DDM program, which minimizes the differences between the derivatives of the calculated and measured X-ray intensities over the entire profile of the X-ray diffraction pattern. The results obtained have been discussed using the group-theoretical analysis of the complete order-parameter condensate, which takes into account the critical and noncritical atomic displacements and permits the interpretation of the experimental data obtained previously. It has been reliably established that the sequence of changes in the symmetry during phase transitions in Rb₂KInF₆ can be represented as $Fm\bar 3m\xrightarrow[{0,0,\phi }]{{11 - 9\left( {\Gamma _4^ + } \right)}}{{I114} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{I114} {m\xrightarrow[{\left( {\psi ,\phi ,\phi } \right)}]{{11 - 9\left( {\Gamma _4^ + } \right) \oplus 10 - 3\left( {X_3^ + } \right)}}{{P12_1 } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{P12_1 } {n1}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {n1}}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {m\xrightarrow[{\left( {\psi ,\phi ,\phi } \right)}]{{11 - 9\left( {\Gamma _4^ + } \right) \oplus 10 - 3\left( {X_3^ + } \right)}}{{P12_1 } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{P12_1 } {n1}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {n1}}}}$.