Interplay of crystal structure and magnetic properties of the Eu5.08-xSrxAl3Sb6 solid solution

Zintl phases containing rare earth metals have gained attention due to their magnetic, electronic, and thermoelectric properties. Eu5.08Al3Sb6 is a new structure type (monoclinic space group C2/m) that can be described as a pseudo-rock-salt EuSb motif with the Eu-centered Sb octahedra at the origin of the unit cell, and on the C-face-center, containing either Eu (8%) or an Al4 tetrahedron modeled as a dual tetrahedron (37.5 %). The complete solid solution of Eu5.08-xSrxAl3Sb6 can be prepared; however, the cation totals vacillate from 5 to 5.24 depending on the Al content. Al K-edge XANES shows a shift to higher energy relative to Al metal, but at slightly lower energy relative to AlSb, indicating an intermediate oxidation state closer to +3 than 0. The lack of an Al K-edge shift with the incorporation of Sr suggests that changes in Sr content do not have a meaningful impact on the electronics of the Al tetrahedra. Investigation of the solid solution structures provides evidence for clas..., Al K-edge x-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) spectra were acquired on single crystals using a scanning transmission x-ray microscope (STXM) in a ~ 0.5 atm He-filled chamber. Spectra were recorded in topoff mode at 220 mA at the spectromicroscopy (SM) beamline 10-ID1 at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and 500 mA at the Molecular Environmental Science (MES) beamline 11.0.2 at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). The photon energy of the medium-energy diffraction grating was calibrated to the Al K-edge for a 1000 Å aluminum filter sample (Luxel, inflection point = 1559.0 eV). The maximum energy resolution E/ΔE was previously determined at better than 7500, consistent with the observed standard deviation for spectral transitions of ±0.3 eV determined from comparing spectral features over multiple particles and beam runs. Edge shifts for Eu5.08Al3Sb6 and AlSb were determined from the half-height of the Al K absorption edge at 1559 eV and could be referenced to the half-height of the 10..., , # Data from: Interplay of crystal structure and magnetic properties of the Eu5.08-xSrxAl3Sb6 solid solution

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hhmgqnkst](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hhmgqnkst)

## Description of the data and file structure

Aluminum K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was used to evaluate the nominal Al charge in Eu5.08Al3Sb6, Eu1.75Sr3.28Al3Sb6, and Sr5.03Al3Sb6. Sample identification: Al, AlSb Eu5.08Al3Sb6, Sr5.03Al3Sb6, and Eu1.75Sr3.28Al3Sb6. There is a space between each dataset. The data are provided in two columns, below a header containing the sample name. Column 1 is in eV, and column 2 is in intensity.

Temperature- and field-dependent magnetization were measured for Eu5-xSrxAl3Sb6 crystals, x = 0.30, 1.37, 2.44, 4.00, 4.87 and 5.03. Each data file includes columns for both sample-specific measurements and instrument diagnostics recorded throughout the experiment. The key sample data columns are labeled Temperature (K), Magnetic F...,