Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂: a quaternary compound having mixed valent Yb atoms grown from indium flux

Abstract

The new intermetallic compound Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂ was obtained as large silver needle shaped single crystals from reactive indium flux. Single crystal X-ray diffraction suggests that Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂ crystallizes in the Yb₇Co₄InGe₁₂ structure type, and tetragonal space group P4/m and lattice constants are a = b = 10.291(2) Å and c = 4.1460(8) Å. The crystal structure of Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂ consists of columnar units of three different types of channels filled with the Yb atoms. The crystal structure of Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂ is closely related to Yb₅Ni₄Ge₁₀. The effective magnetic moment obtained from the magnetic susceptibility measurements in the temperature range 200-300 K is 3.66μ_B/Yb suggests mixed/intermediate valence behavior of ytterbium atoms. X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) confirms that Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂ exhibits mixed valence.