Structure of an LiKSO 4 single crystal studied by 7Li and 39K NMR at low temperature

Abstract

The 7Li and 39K nuclear magnetic resonances in an LiKSO 4 single crystal grown by the slow evaporation method have been investigated using a Bruker FT nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. From the experimental data, the quadrapole coupling constant and asymmetry parameter were determined at room temperature and low temperature, respectively. Unlike the case at 300 K, the 7Li NMR line consists of three sets at 180 K, while 39K nucleus exhibits six sets for the rotation around the three crystallographic axes. The three resonance lines of 7Li and 39K at low temperature can be explained by the existence of three kinds of twin domain, rotated with respect to each other by 120° around the c-axis. The three resonance lines are also related to the crystallographic mirror plane. Structure of ferroelastic LiKSO 4 crystals at 180 K can be directly inferred from the domain pattern obtained by 7Li and 39K NMR. The above results show that the equations of the twin boundaries belong to the mm2 F6 mm ferroelastic species. Therefore, the symmetry of phases III and II is given by orthorhombic structure with Cmc2 1 ( mm2) and hexagonal structural with P6 3 mc (6 mm), respectively.