High-pressure synthesis of the BiVO3 perovskite

Abstract

We report the high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis of $\mathrm{BiV}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, a cubic perovskite that thus far has remained inaccessible under ambient pressure conditions. We created this material at $\ensuremath{\sim}25$ GPa and 1500 K in a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell and recovered it to ambient pressure and temperature. Our synthetic approach circumvents the oxidative chemistry that, at ambient pressures, previously rendered the cubic $\mathrm{BiV}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ perovskite inaccessible. We find through density-functional theory calculations that this material is a unique metallic and antiferromagnetic transition-metal oxide.