Pressure-induced high-spin/low-spin disproportionated state in the Mott insulator FeBO₃.

ABSTRACT: The pressure-induced Mott insulator-to-metal transitions are often accompanied by a collapse of magnetic interactions associated with delocalization of 3d electrons and high-spin to low-spin (HS-LS) state transition. Here, we address a long-standing controversy regarding the high-pressure behavior of an archetypal Mott insulator FeBO₃ and show the insufficiency of a standard theoretical approach assuming a conventional HS-LS transition for the description of the electronic properties of the Mott insulators at high pressures. Using high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements supplemented by Mössbauer spectroscopy up to pressures ~ 150 GPa, we document an unusual electronic state characterized by a "mixed" HS/LS state with a stable abundance ratio realized in the [Formula: see

SUBMITTER: Xu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9187741 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature