Electric-field gradients used to measure atomic short range order: U(In0.5Sn0.5)3 as a case-study

S. Cottenier; J. Meersschaut; L. Vermeire; S. Demuynck; B. Swinnen; M. Rots

doi:10.1007/s100510050624

EPJ

Electric-field gradients used to measure atomic short range order: U(In_0.5Sn_0.5)₃ as a case-study

S. Cottenier¹, J. Meersschaut¹, L. Vermeire², S. Demuynck¹, B. Swinnen¹ and M. Rots¹

¹ Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
² Onderzoeksgroep Statistiek en Meetkunde, Kulak, E. Sabbelaan 53, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium

Received: 10 March 1998
Revised: 12 June 1998
Accepted: 14 September 1998
Published online: 15 February 1999

Abstract

A scheme is presented in order to obtain complete information on atomic short range order in crystalline materials based on measuring the electric-field gradient on a probe nucleus. Limitations and possible improvements of the method are discussed. When applied to U(In_0.5Sn_0.5)₃, short range order with In-Sn attraction is found.

PACS: 75.40.-s – Critical-point effects, specific heats, short-range order / 76.80.+y – Mössbauer effect; other γ-ray spectroscopy / 71.27.+a – Strongly correlated electron systems; heavy fermions