High magnetic field x-ray diffraction study of the α phase of solid oxygen: Absence of giant magnetostriction

Abstract

High magnetic field x-ray diffraction experiments of solid oxygen have been performed at 10 K using DC magnetic fields of up to 5 T as well as pulsed magnetic fields of up to 25 T. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ phase of oxygen exhibits no magnetostriction greater than $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}d/d={10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ at 5 T, where $d$ and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}d$ denote a lattice plane spacing and its magnetic field variation, respectively. The $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}d/d$ at higher fields of up to 25 T is found to be smaller than $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. These results contradict the previously reported giant magnetostriction in the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ phase where the volume magnetostriction $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}V/V$ reaches ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ at 7.5 T [K. Katsumata et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 17, L235 (2005)].