Direct visualization of the Jahn–Teller effect coupled to Na ordering in Na5/8MnO2

The Jahn–Teller distortion is an electronic effect that is known to couple charge, orbital and magnetic ordering phenomena in many complex solids. Using a combination of scattering and microscopy approaches, it is now shown that cooperative Jahn–Teller distortions in Na5/8MnO2 are coupled to an unusual ordering of Na vacancies.