ACTA

Electron Microscopy and X-ray Structural Investigations of Incommensurate Spin-Ladder Sr_4.1Ca_4.7Bi_0.3Cu₁₇O₂₉ Single Crystals

P. Dłużewski^a, A. Pietraszko^b, M. Kozłowski^a, A. Szczepańska^a, J. Górecka^a, M. Baran^a, L. Leonyuk^c, G.-J. Babonas^d, O. Lebedev^e and R. Szymczak^a
^aInstitute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
^bInstitute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, 50-422 Wrocław, Poland
^cGeological Department, Moscow State University, 119899 Moscow, Russia
^dSemiconductor Physics Institute, 2600 Vilnius, Lithuania
^eUniversity of Antwerp RUCA, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium

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Received: September 4, 2000; in final form October 20, 2000

Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction proved chain ladder incommensurate single crystal structure of investigated samples. The incommensurate ratio was determined from the X-ray and electron diffraction being equal to 0.704. Diffuse scattering intensities localised on the planes perpendicular to the c*-axis and passing through the spots originating from the periodicity of chain sublattice were detected. High-angle grain boundary or twinning formed by rotation of 33.3° around [100] direction was observed. High-resolution electron microscopy images revealed the stacking faults in ac planes.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.98.729
PACS numbers: 74.72.-h, 61.16.Bg, 61.10.-i, 61.72.Nn, 61.72.Mm