Giant uniaxial negative thermal expansion in FeZr2 alloy over a wide temperature range

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) alloys possess great practical merit as thermal offsets for positive thermal expansion due to its metallic properties. However, achieving a large NTE with a wide temperature range remains a great challenge. Herein, a metallic framework-like material FeZr2 is found to exhibit a giant uniaxial (1D) NTE with a wide temperature range (93-1078 K, alpha($) over bar (l) = - 34:01 x 10(-6) K-1). Such uniaxial NTE is the strongest in all metal-based NTE materials. The direct experimental evidence and DFT calculations reveal that the origin of giant NTE is the couple with phonons, flexible framework-like structure, and soft bonds. Interestingly, the present metallic FeZr2 excites giant 1D NTEmainly driven by high-frequency optical branches. It is unlike the NTE in traditional frameworkmaterials, which are generally dominated by low energy acoustic branches. In the present study, a giant uniaxial NTE alloy is reported, and the complex mechanism has been revealed. It is of great significance for understanding the nature of thermal expansion and guiding the regulation of thermal expansion.

Automated summary

In this study, a metallic framework-like material FeZr2 is found to exhibit a giant uniaxial (1D) negative thermal expansion (NTE) with a wide temperature range. The origin of the giant NTE is attributed to the coupling with phonons, flexible framework-like structure, and soft bonds. This finding is significant in understanding the nature of thermal expansion and guiding the regulation of thermal expansion.