High pressure structural studies of AgInTe₂

The structural phase transformations in the chalcopyrite semiconductor AgInTe₂ have been studied up to 10 GPa on both pressure increase and decrease. The experiments were conducted using angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation and an image plate. The diffraction patterns of AgInTe₂ at ambient pressure reveal two coexisting phases: the first has the chalcopyrite structure while the second has a zincblende-like structure. On pressure increase both phases transformed at 3-4 GPa to a cation-disordered orthorhombic structure with spacegroup Cmcm. On pressure decrease, the chalcopyrite phase started to reappear at 0.55 GPa, and the Cmcm phase disappeared completely at ambient pressure.