Marcos Marmolejo

Major: Mechanical Engineering
Mentors: Linus Kautzsch, Professor Stephen Wilson

Rare-earth Mixed Site Pyrochlore Oxides

The objective was to synthesize a series of rare-earth mixed site pyrochlore oxides; as polycrystalline powders and as single crystal samples in order to compare the magnetic properties to known rare-earth pyrochlores. The focus was on finding a simple and effective synthesis procedure to obtain phase-pure samples. Utilizing a kitchen microwave to synthesize the pyrochlore compounds yielded the best results. This method allows the samples to reach high temperatures in a short amount of time and allows for the formation of the pyrochlore phase. The phase-purity of the samples was confirmed using powder x-ray diffraction. In conclusion, the microwave technique is an effective and fast pathway to synthesis rare-earth pyrochlore materials.