title: Local distortion induced metal-to-insulator phase transition in PrRu4P12.
abstract: Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments have been carried out on PrRu(4)P(12) and PrOs(4)P(12) to study the metal-to-insulator (MI) phase transition in PrRu(4)P(12). No Pr displacement was observed across the MI transition temperature from the EXAFS data. Instead, our EXAFS data clearly show that a Ru displacement is associated with this MI transition. The very high Debye temperature for the Ru-P bond (Theta(D) = 690 K) suggests that a slight rotation/displacement of relatively rigid RuP(6) octahedra leads to this small Ru displacement, which accompanies the MI transition at 62 K in PrRu(4)P(12).
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS-K764, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Heffner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.forename: I-K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Yuhasz
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Maple