Mn–Te bond in the rocksalt Sn1−xMnxTe alloys and octahedral radius of Mn: X-Ray absorption- and diffraction study

The studies of local atomic structure in Sn1−xMnxTe (x<0.07) alloys, with an attention to the nature of Mn–Te bond, were performed for the first time with use of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, supplemented by photoelectron measurements. XRD unanimously indicated a single phase NaCl-type structure of these compounds. Analysis of Mn K-edge EXAFS data provided us with the bond length and Debye–Waller (DW) factor for Mn–Te bond in octahedral coordination of rocksalt Sn1−xMnxTe. The magnitude of DW factor suggested a moderate ionicity of Mn–Te bond (in the host SnTe matrix) indicative of its mixed covalent–ionic character. The determined value of Mn–Te bond length in Sn1−xMnxTe enabled us to estimate the octahedral covalent radius of Mn.