Vacancy Order and Physical Properties of a Ternary Compound Fe0.68Pd0.80Te with an α-Fe1+xTe-Type Structure

Abstract: We report the identification and characterization of a new compound Fe0.68Pd0.80Te with an α-Fe1+xTe prototype structure. Different from the Fe-square net and minor occupancy of interstitial Fe-sites in Fe1+xTe, Fe0.68Pd0.80Te is featured by a Pdsquare net and near 68% occupancy of the corresponding interstitial Fe-sites. Furthermore, noncontact atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction provide evidence for the existence of a 3*3*3 Pd-vacancy order in this layered material. A spin-glass ground state below Tg 40 K is identified via magnetic characterization. Electrical transport measurements show that Fe0.68Pd0.80Te is a semiconductor with a very small band gap below 10 meV. It has weak negative magnetoresistance and holelike charge carriers below room temperature. Our results demonstrate its potentials for further exploring various quantum phenomena.