Synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments have been carried out on Eu metal at ambient temperature to pressures as high as 92 GPa (0.92 Mbar). Following the well-known bcc-to-hcp transition at 12 GPa, a mixed phase region is observed from 18 to 66 GPa until finally a single orthorhombic (Pnma) phase persists from 66 to 92 GPa. These results are compared to predictions from density functional theory calculations. Under pressure the relatively large molar volume V mol of divalent Eu is rapidly diminished, equaling or falling below V mol (P) for neighboring trivalent lanthanides above 15 GPa. The present results suggest that above 15 GPa Eu is neither divalent nor fully trivalent to pressures as high as 92 GPa.
I. IntroductionIn contrast to the other lanthanide metals, which are trivalent, Eu and Yb retain the divalency of their free-atom state. As a result, their atomic volumes are significantly larger and their structures do not fit into the normal structure sequence across the trivalent lanthanide series (hcp → Sm-type → double hcp → fcc → distorted fcc) either with increasing pressure or decreasing atomic number [1][2][3]. At pressures near 1 Mbar, Yb takes on the hexagonal hP3 structure exhibited by the light actinides Sm and Nd under pressure, providing evidence that for pressures of 1 Mbar and above Yb has joined the regular lanthanide series and become fully trivalent [4]. The equation of state (EOS) of Yb is consistent with this conclusion [4].Structure studies on Eu metal at ambient temperatures, on the other hand, have only been carried out to 43 GPa [5,6], revealing a bcc-to-hcp transition at 12 GPa accompanied by a 4% volume collapse, with a new close-packed structure appearing near 17 GPa. From the fact that the EOS of Eu approaches that of trivalent Gd near 20 GPa, it was concluded that at this pressure a significant increase in Eu's valence must have occurred [5]. L III absorption [7] and Mössbauer effect [8,9] studies reportedly indicate that at 10 GPa Eu's valence has already increased to approximately 2.5, with a further increase to 2.64 at pressures of 34 GPa. Theoretical predictions of the pressure necessary for the full divalent-to-trivalent transition in Eu vary from 35 GPa [2, 10] to 71 GPa [11].Should sufficiently high pressure be applied to bring Eu to full trivalency Eu 3+ (4f 6 where J