Interplay of cation ordering and thermoelastic properties of spinel structure MgGa2O4

Abstract

The coefficient of thermal expansion and elastic stiffnesses of spinel structure MgGa2O4 were determined from 103 K to 1673 K using dilatometry and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. The state of cation order was investigated on specimens quenched from temperatures up to 1473 K via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Even at room-temperature, the material is stiffer than what was expected from DFT simulations at 0 K, however, the stiffness falls within the predicted range based on the stiffness of the constituent oxides of MgGa2O4. The anisotropy of its longitudinal elastic stiffness is low, whereas there is a high anisotropy of the shear resistance compared to other cubic materials. At about 820 K–860 K, the temperature dependences of both thermal expansion and elastic properties change rapidly. Cation reordering also starts in this temperature range; the state of order is static at lower temperatures. Thus, MgGa2O4 undergoes a glass-like transition when heated above 820 K–860 K, where the state of cation order starts relaxing towards equilibrium in laboratory timescales. Landau-theory for nonconvergent cation ordering can describe the observed cation order at elevated temperatures well.