Crystal growth of CsCl-type Yb0.24Sn0.76Ru

Abstract The Yb–Ru–Sn ternary system was investigated and a new material, Yb 0.24 Sn 0.76 Ru, with a simple cubic crystal structure, was discovered. Yb 0.24 Sn 0.76 Ru has a smaller lattice parameter a =3.217(4) A, than its isostructural YbRu analogue ( a =3.360 A). Both X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy techniques were used to refine the crystal structure of Yb 0.24 Sn 0.76 Ru. It was found that a new compound forms in the CsCl structure, with Ru on the 1a site and a (Yb, Sn) mixture on site 1b. The XRD Rietveld analysis provides the occupation of Yb equal to 0.24, in agreement with the single crystal nano-electron diffraction refinement, which gives the occupation 0.21.