The structure of multiple twinned CsMgInF6 and its relationship to other pyrochlore derived fluorides

The pyrochlore derived fluoride structures with general composition AM 2+ M 3+ F 6 crystallize in space groups which are in group-subgroup relationship to Fd3m, the space group of the archetype pyrochlore structure. All orthorhombic representatives investigated so far show an ordered M 2+ /M 3+ distribution over two symmetrically independent octahedral sites. CsMgInF 6 crystallizes in space group Pnma with lattice parameters a = 7.5285(1), b = 7.5285(1) and c = 10.6459(1) A. The investigated crystal was a second degree twin, where the independent twin elements are a combination of the three- and fourfold rotation axes of the archetype cubic lattice. The pseudosymmetry of the compound with respect to space group Imma is extremely high and a reliable decision about the correct symmetry was only possible when inspecting partial agreement factors for the weak reflections h + k + l = 2n + 1 only. With respect to the other orthorhombic pyrochlore derived ternary fluorides, the present compound differs in the fact that the M 2+ /M 3+ ions are completely disordered in CsMgInF 6 .