X‐ray diffraction study of amorphous phase of BaSi₂ under high pressure

Abstract

Abstract A high‐pressure synchrotron X‐ray diffraction study of zintl phase BaSi 2 semiconductor has been performed up to 45 GPa. The pressure‐induced amorphization occurred at 13 GPa. In the amorphous phase, the Ba–Si bond distance decreased with increasing pressure, while the Ba–Ba bond distances were almost unchanged. The Rietveld refinement revealed that these distances in the crystal phase decreased with increasing pressure. By combining these results, the Ba–Si bond compressibility in both phases is almost identical. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)