Investigation of superionic phase transition in the CuCr1-xVxS2 system by X-ray diffraction and magnetic methods

The unit cell parameters and the distribution of copper atoms over different crystallographic sites in the CuCr1-xVxS2 superionic conductors have been determined by x-ray diffraction. It is demonstrated that a jumpwise change in the copper occupancy of different crystallographic sites for the compositions with x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 is associated with the transition to the superionic phase. The two-dimensional character of the ion transfer in the studied compounds is confirmed. No considerable anomalies in the temperature dependences of the paramagnetic susceptibility are revealed at temperatures of the superionic transition. (C) 2000 MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica.