Lattice Relaxation at Antiphase Boundary in Gd₂(MoO₄)₃

Abstract

A displacement in addition to that of the half lattice period was found to exist at the antiphase boundary of Gd₂(MoO₄)₃ by means of electron microscopy. The displacement depends on orientation of the antiphase boundary, but is nearly in the a direction for the boundaries of all orientations except when it is in the b direction for the boundary parallel to the a axis. The displacement gives dilatation of the lattice at the boundary. These facts suggest that the antiphase boundaries have a finite width and a structure alike that of the tetragonal high-temperature phase.