title: Pressure-induced normal-incommensurate and incommensurate-commensurate phase transitions in CrOCl.
abstract: The high-pressure behavior of layered CrOCl is shown to be governed by non-bonded interactions between chlorine atoms in relation to a rigid framework composed of Cr and O atoms. The competition between optimizing intra- and interlayer Cl-Cl distances and the general trend towards denser packing defines a novel mechanism for high-pressure phase transitions of inorganic materials. CrOCl possesses an incommensurate phase for 16-51 GPa. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell provides an accurate description of the evolution of the incommensurate wave with pressure. It thus demonstrates a continuous increase of the amplitude up to 30 GPa, followed by a decrease of the wavelength until a lock-in transition occurs at 51 GPa.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bykov
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany [2] Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry and Geophysics, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bykova
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry and Geophysics, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubrovinsky
authors.affiliation: ESRF, 38043 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanfland
authors.affiliation: Photon Sciences, DESY, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanns-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Liermann
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Smaalen