Neutron Diffraction Study of Nonstoichiometry in Ba1.5La1.5Cu3Oy

Abstract
The structure parameters of annealed and quenched samples of Ba1.5La1.5Cu3O y were refined by the Rietveld analysis of TOF neutron powder diffraction data. Partial occupation of an oxygen site at (0, 1/2, 0) causes nonstoichiometry in the oxide. The y values calculated from the occupation factors of oxygen at this site are 7.20 (annealed) and 6.76 (quenched), which are in fair agreement with those determined by iodometry: 7.15 (annealed) and 6.74 (quenched).