Raman and x-ray diffraction investigations on BaMoO4 under high pressures

TL;DR

This study investigates the structural changes of BaMoO4 under high pressures using Raman and X-ray diffraction, revealing phase transitions and their reversibility, which enhances understanding of its high-pressure behavior.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the high-pressure phase transitions of BaMoO4, including the identification of a first-order transition to fergusonite and subsequent phases.

Findings

BaMoO4 transitions to fergusonite at 5.8 GPa

Additional phase change occurs between 7.2-9.5 GPa

Structural changes are reversible upon pressure release

Abstract

X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering studies on scheelite structured barium molybdate show that, at 5.8 GPa, it undergoes a first order phase transition to fergusonite structure (I2/a, Z=4), asobserved in iso-structural barium tungstate.At still higher pressures, barium molybdate transform to another phase between 7.2-9.5 GPa. On release of pressure from 15.8 GPa, the initial phase is recovered implying that the observed structural modifications are reversible.