Suppression of lattice doubling in quasi‐skutterudite La3Rh4Sn13: a comparison of temperature and hydrostatic pressure routes

We present structural properties at different temperatures and high‐pressure (HP) of La3Rh4Sn13 which is one of the interesting systems in the Remika phase RE3Rh4Sn13 (RE = Sr, Ca, La, Pr, Ce) quasi‐skutterudite series using synchrotron diffraction. Data at ambient conditions revealed the presence of several weak reflections, which could be accounted only with a superlattice I* structure (I4132) with lattice parameter a ~19.457 Å. However, above 350 K, a complete suppression of the weak superlattice reflections of the I* structure is observed. Data at higher temperatures is found to be well described by the I structure (Pm‐3n) having half the lattice parameter compared to the I* structure. HP‐XRPD at ambient temperature showed that pressures greater than 7.5 GPa result in similar suppression of the weak I* superlattice reflections. Data at higher pressures is found to be well described by the I structure (Pm‐3n), similar to the high‐temperature phase. HP Raman measurements demonstrated changes that seem to be consistent with a locally more ordered structure as in the case of the I* à I transition. Our findings on La3Rh4Sn13 open up new avenues to study unexplored HP phenomena, especially the superconductivity in these Remika phase quasi‐skutterudites.