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Title: Neutron scattering investigation of layer-bending modes in alkali-metal--graphite intercalation compounds

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

Phonon dispersion curves for low-frequency transverse modes propagating in the basal plane have been measured in the alkali-metal--graphite intercalation compounds KC/sub 8/, CsC/sub 8/, KC/sub 24/, and RbC/sub 24/ by means of neutron spectroscopy. The acoustic branches show an almost quadratic dispersion relation at small q, characteristic of strongly layered materials. The optical branches of stage-1 compounds can be classified as either graphitelike branches showing dispersion, or as almost dispersionless alkali-metal-like modes. Macroscopic shear constants C/sub 44/ and layer-bending moduli have been obtained for the intercalation compounds by analyzing the data in terms of a simple semicontinuum model. In stage-2 compounds, a dramatic softening of the shear constant by about a factor of 8 compared with pure graphite has been observed. Low-temperature results on KC/sub 24/ indicate the opening of a frequency gap near the alkali-metal Brillouin-zone boundary, possibly due to the formation of the alkali-metal superstructure.

Research Organization:
Department of Physics and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
OSTI ID:
6527541
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 26:10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English