title: Local structural distortion and electrical transport properties of Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3 perovskite under high pressure.
abstract: Perovskite-structure materials generally exhibit local structural distortions that are distinct from long-range, average crystal structure. The characterization of such distortion is critical to understanding the structural and physical properties of materials. In this work, we combined Pair Distribution Function (PDF) technique with Raman spectroscopy and electrical resistivity measurement to study Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3 perovskite under high pressure. PDF analysis reveals strong local structural distortion at ambient conditions. As pressure increases, the local structure distortions are substantially suppressed and eventually vanish around 4 GPa, leading to concurrent changes in the electronic band structure and anomalies in the electrical resistivity. Consistent with PDF analysis, Raman spectroscopy data suggest that the local structure changes to a higher ordered state at pressures above 4 GPa.
authors.affiliation: HiPSEC, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA.
authors.forename: Jinlong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), 1690 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.|High Pressure Synergetic Consortium (HPSynC), Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Liuxiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Lujan Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA.
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), 1690 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.|High Pressure Synergetic Consortium (HPSynC), Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Wenge
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Xinguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: National Lab for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: HiPSEC, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA.|National Lab for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Yusheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao