X-ray study of modulated structures of beta-Cu x V 2 O 5

High resolution X-ray study reveals the wave vector change in the modulated structure of the quasi-one dimensional compound beta'-Cu vanadium bronze. Structural modulation of the reduced wave vector q0 = (0, 0.305, 0) emerges below 220 K in beta'-Cu0.29V2O5 . For beta'-Cu0.39V2O5, not the single q modulation but two kinds of modulations were observed. A three-fold superlattice structure with q1 = (0, 0.333, 0) appears below 210 K. An incommensurate modulated structure with q2 = (0, 0.26 ? 0.29, 0) coexists below 175 K, whose satellite intensity and b* component Qb have temperature and passing-time dependencies between 140 K and 175 K. The competition between q1 and q2 modulations was also observed. It seems that the q2 is deeply related to the physical property change between 140 K and 180 K confirmed by the decrease in the magnetic susceptibility and the increase in the resistivity.