title: Spontaneous formation of vanadium "molecules" in a geometrically frustrated crystal: AlV2O4.
abstract: We investigated the charge-ordered (CO) state in spinel AlV2O4 by electron diffraction, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and magnetic measurements. It was found that the CO structure appearing below 700 K is characterized by the formation of V clusters (heptamers), each of which is consisting of 7 vanadium atoms and is in a spin-singlet state as a total. Theoretical consideration indicates that this unique molecularlike V heptamer is stabilized by a strong bonding of vanadium t(2g) orbitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horibe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shingu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurushima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motome
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsufuji