Flux growth, structure refinement and Mössbauer studies of Fe1– x Ga x BO3 single crystals

Abstract

High-quality Fe1–x Ga x BO3 single crystals (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) in the form of basal plates were synthesized by the flux technique. The exact content of Fe and Ga and homogeneity of their distribution in the crystal structure were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The crystal structure was refined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The electronic and magnetic properties were studied using Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is shown that even a small content of diamagnetic gallium leads to a rearrangement of the crystal structure and essentially changes the magnetic hyperfine parameters of the crystals.