We used low-temperature synchrotron x-ray diffraction to investigate the structural phase transitions of Fe1+yTe in the vicinity of a tricitical point in the phase diagram. Detailed analysis of the powder diffraction patterns and temperature dependence of the peak-widths in Fe1+yTe showed that two-step structural and magnetic phase transitions occur within the compositional range 0.11 $\leq y \leq $ 0.13. The phase transitions are sluggish indicating a strong competition between the orthorhombic and the monoclinic phases. We combine high-resolution diffraction experiments with specific heat, resistivity, and magnetization measurements and present a revised temperature-composition phase diagram for Fe1+yTe.
Categories: cond-mat.supr-con