Observation of a strongly nested Fermi surface in the shape-memory alloy Ni0.62Al0.38

High-resolution Compton spectroscopy using x-ray microcalorimeters

X-ray Compton spectroscopy is one of the few direct probes of the electron momentum distribution of bulk materials in ambient and operando environments. We report high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering experiments with high momentum and energy transfer performed at a storage-ring-based high-energy x-ray light source facility using an x-ray transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter detector. The performance was compared with a silicon drift detector (SDD), an energy-resolving semiconductor detector, and Compton profiles were measured for lithium and cobalt oxide powders relevant to lithium-ion battery research. Spectroscopic analysis of the measured Compton profiles demonstrates the high-sensitivity to the low-Z elements and oxidation states. The line shape analysis of the measured Compton profiles in comparison with computed Hartree-Fock profiles is usually limited by the resolution of the semiconductor detector. We have characterized an x-ray TES microcalorimeter detector for high-resolution Compton scattering experiments using a bending magnet source at the Advanced Photon Source with a double crystal monochromator, providing monochromatic photon energies near 27.5 keV. The momentum resolution below 0.16 atomic units (a.u.) was measured, yielding an improvement of more than a factor of 7 over a state-of-the-art SDD for the same scattering geometry. Furthermore, the lineshapes of narrow valence and broad core electron profiles of sealed lithium metal were clearly resolved using an x-ray TES compared to smeared and broadened lineshapes observed when using the SDD. High-resolution Compton scattering using the energy-resolving area detector shown here presents new opportunities for spatial imaging of electron momentum distributions for a wide class of materials with applications ranging from electrochemistry to condensed matter physics.

Electron momentum density of hexagonal Zn studied by high-resolution Compton scattering

High-resolution (0.12 a.u.) electron momentum density projections (Compton profiles) of a hexagonal Zn single crystal have been measured along five high-symmetry directions in reciprocal space. The experiment was performed with the use of 115.6 keV synchrotron radiation on the BL08W station at SPring-8. The quality of the measured Compton profiles is significantly better than that of previous medium- and high-resolution data. The experimental data were compared with the corresponding theoretical Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Some minor and major differences between the two theoretical band-structure calculations have been observed. However, the good quality experimental results indicate their better agreement with DFT.

Vacancies, disorder-induced smearing of the electronic structure, and its implications for the superconductivity of anti-perovskite MgC0.93Ni2.85

The anti-perovskite superconductor MgC_0.93Ni_2.85 was studied using high-resolution x-ray Compton scattering combined with electronic structure calculations. Compton scattering measurements were used to determine experimentally a Fermi surface that showed good agreement with that of our supercell calculations, establishing the presence of the predicted hole and electron Fermi surface sheets. Our calculations indicate that the Fermi surface is smeared by the disorder due to the presence of vacancies on the C and Ni sites, but does not drastically change shape. The 20% reduction in the Fermi level density-of-states would lead to a significant (~70%) suppression of the superconducting T_c for pair-forming electron-phonon coupling. However, we ascribe the observed much smaller T_c reduction at our composition (compared to the stoichiometric compound) to the suppression of pair-breaking spin fluctuations.

Extracting the redox orbitals in Li battery materials with high-resolution x-ray compton scattering spectroscopy

We present an incisive spectroscopic technique for directly probing redox orbitals based on bulk electron momentum density measurements via high-resolution x-ray Compton scattering. Application of our method to spinel Li_{x}Mn_{2}O_{4}, a lithium ion battery cathode material, is discussed. The orbital involved in the lithium insertion and extraction process is shown to mainly be the oxygen 2p orbital. Moreover, the manganese 3d states are shown to experience spatial delocalization involving 0.16±0.05 electrons per Mn site during the battery operation. Our analysis provides a clear understanding of the fundamental redox process involved in the working of a lithium ion battery.

Calculating electron momentum densities and Compton profiles using the linear tetrahedron method

A method for computing electron momentum densities and Compton profiles from ab initio calculations is presented. Reciprocal space is divided into optimally-shaped tetrahedra for interpolation, and the linear tetrahedron method is used to obtain the momentum density and its projections such as Compton profiles. Results are presented and evaluated against experimental data for Be, Cu, Ni, Fe3Pt, and YBa2Cu4O8, demonstrating the accuracy of our method in a wide variety of crystal structures.

Special directions in momentum space. II. Hexagonal, tetragonal and trigonal symmetries

This paper is a continuation of a previous one,Special directions in momentum space. I. Cubic symmetries[Kontrym-Sznajd & Samsel-Czekała (2011).J. Appl. Cryst.44, 1246–1254], where new sets of special directions (SDs), having the full symmetry of the Brillouin zone, were proposed for cubic lattices. In the present paper, such directions are derived for structures with unique six-, four- and threefold axes,i.e.hexagonal, tetragonal and trigonal lattices, for both two- and three-dimensional space. The SDs presented here allow for construction, in the whole space, of anisotropic quantities from the knowledge of such quantities along a limited number of SDs. The task at hand is to determine as many anisotropic components as the number of available sampling directions. Also discussed is a way of dealing with data when the number of anisotropic components is restricted by a non-optimal set of SDs.

Compton profiles and nesting of Fermi surfaces for B2-TiNi and B2-TiPd

The band structures of the shape memory alloys B2-TiNi and B2-TiPd are calculated by the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method with the local density approximation. The theoretical Compton profiles for B2-TiNi and B2-TiPd are calculated. In addition, the three-dimensional (3D) occupation number densities obtained by Lock-Crisp-West (LCW) analysis are presented for the first time. These 3D occupation number densities are in good agreement with the Compton scattering experiment for TiNi. Both shape memory alloys are based on martensitic transformation, which is caused by soft phonons. The charge-density wave is created by nesting of Fermi surfaces, which leads to phonon softening. To examine the nesting vectors quantitatively, we calculate the generalized susceptibility χ(q). χ(q) shows peaks at 0.315[110]2π/a and 0.4[111]2π/a for TiNi and at 0.275[110]2π/a and 0.395[111]2π/a for TiPd. Although the nesting vector in the [110] direction agrees with that from the phonon experiment, the nesting vector in the [111] direction differs from that in the experimental results.

Special directions in momentum space. I. Cubic symmetries

Some new sets of special directions (SDs) in the Brillouin zone for cubic structures are presented. They allow for construction in the reciprocal space of anisotropic quantities, having Γ1symmetry, from knowledge of such quantities along a limited number of SDs. These SDs also define which spectra, measured, for example, in Compton scattering experiments, are the most efficient for reconstructing three-dimensional densities from their one-dimensional projections. The new SDs are compared with results obtained by other authors.

A magnetic Compton scattering study of Ga rich Co-Ni-Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

The temperature dependent spin momentum densities of Co(1.8)NiGa(1.2) and Co(2)Ni(0.76)Ga(1.24) alloys have been measured using the magnetic Compton scattering technique. The individual contributions of constituents in the formation of the total spin moment are also calculated using Compton line shape analysis. The magnetic Compton data when compared with the magnetization data obtained using a vibrating sample magnetometer show a negligible orbital contribution. The spin moments deduced from the experimental Compton data are compared with the theoretical results obtained from the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method and are found to be in good agreement. The origin of the magnetism in both alloys is also described in terms of the e(g) and t(2g) contributions of Ni and Co.

3D imaging of the Fermi surface by thermal diffuse scattering

We use thermal diffuse scattering of x rays to visualize the lens-shaped portions of the Fermi surface in metallic zinc. Our interpretation of the nature of the observed scattered intensity anomalies is supported by the incorporation of inelastic x-ray scattering measurements as well as ab initio calculations of the electronic structure and lattice dynamics. Our work demonstrates that thermal diffuse scattering complements well-established techniques and is a powerful tool in its own right for studying the shape of the Fermi surface through the associated electron-phonon coupling.

Combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the premartensitic transition in Ni2MnGa

Ultraviolet-photoemission (UPS) measurements and supporting specific-heat, thermal-expansion, resistivity, and magnetic-moment measurements are reported for the magnetic shape-memory alloy Ni2MnGa over the temperature range 100<T<250 K. All measurements detect clear signatures of the premartensitic transition (T(PM) approximately 247 K) and the martensitic transition (T(M) approximately 196 K). Temperature-dependent UPS shows a dramatic depletion of states (pseudogap) at T(PM) located 0.3 eV below the Fermi energy. First-principles electronic structure calculations show that the peak observed at 0.3 eV in the UPS spectra for T>T(PM) is due to the Ni d minority-spin electrons. Below T(M) this peak disappears, resulting in an enhanced density of states at energies around 0.8 eV. This enhancement reflects Ni d and Mn d electronic contributions to the majority-spin density of states.

Configurational energetics in ice ih probed by compton scattering

Temperature-induced changes in the ground-state electron momentum density of polycrystalline ice Ih are studied with high accuracy by Compton scattering utilizing synchrotron radiation. A unique feasibility of the technique to provide direct experimental information on configurational enthalpies and heat capacities is demonstrated. The configurational enthalpy, obtained with an accuracy of 1.5 meV, evolves linearly with temperature above T=100 K. Consequently the configurational heat capacity is found to be constant, c{p}{config}=(0.44+/-0.11) J g{-1} K-1, in this temperature regime. Obtaining these quantities experimentally is fundamentally important for evaluating the accuracy of molecular-dynamics simulations schemes.