Temperature phase transitions in Rb2KRe3+F6 elpasolites - Raman spectroscopy study

Phase transitions in crystals of fluorine-containing elpasolites are investigated by Raman scattering spectroscopy. It was found that lattice instabilities in these crystals are induced by soft mode condensations, while restorations of these modes in the distorted phases have not been observed due to their strong interactions with low-frequency noncritical lattice vibrations. Increasing the mass of a rare-earth ions shifts down frequencies of noncritical modes, that enhances these interactions and leads to a narrowing of the range of existence of intermediate phase and then to its disappearance.