Some new results and interpretation concerning the system FeYb₂S₄

Stoichiometric powdered FeYb₂S₄ having a cubic (special) spinel structure was prepared. The structure was based on X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The space group is Fd3m (No. 227) and the lattice constant a₀ = 10.828Å. All the iron is divalent but only ca. 80% fills the tetrahedral 8a site while ca. 20% fills the octahedral 16d site. The ytterbium is trivalent, most of it occupying the normal octahedral 16d spinel site, but ca. 16% occupies the normally empty octahedral 16c site, having been displaced by the iron.