In the spinel CuIr2S4 system, previous reports have shown that any chemical substitution would suppress or destroy the Peierls-like phase transition. Herein, we present our investigations on the Cu1？xLixIr2S4 system, where the Peierls-like phase transition is enhanced by the doping of Li. To our knowledge, this is the first report that the phase transition is enhanced by chemical substitution. Through low-temperature X-ray diffraction study, we find that the lattice cell is distorted by the doping of Li, which favors the tetragonal structure in the low-temperature Peierls-like phase. We suggest that the lattice distortion caused by the Li-doping is responsible for the enhancement of the phase transition.

 Related Links:http://iopscience.iop.org/0295-5075/94/3/37003/fulltext/