Structural Determination for Lanthanum, Yttrium Silicides of the formula La5-xYxSi4 (0≤x≤5) using X-Ray Diffraction
Abstract
The results of an experiment done in 1997 showed that Gd5Si2Ge2 had large
magentiocaloric effects. Since then, experiments using pseudobinary silicides became
popular to see if other silicides would show the same magentiocaloric properties. Using
Powder and Single Crystal X-Ray Diffraction, and two non magnetic rare earth metals
(La and Y), an experiment was conducted to determine the structures of these rare earth
metal silicides. The silicides studied were of the formula La5-xYxSi4 (0≤x≤5). The lattice
parameters, atomic coordinates, and space groups of these silicides were found. From
these values, structures were determined and compared to known silicide structures
and space groupings. It was determined that these lanthanum, yttrium scilicides shared
similar structural and face group properties with Zr5Si4, Gd5Si4 and Gd5Si2Ge2. These
new found structures can be used to determine if these silicides have magentiocaloric
effects even when the silicide is formed with nonmagnetic metals. This property is useful
in the fields of matter physics and material science.