Probing the local environment of two-dimensional ordered vacancy structures in Ga{sub 2}SeTe{sub 2} via aberration-corrected electron microscopy
There has been considerable interest in chalcogenide alloys with high concentrations of native vacancies that lead to properties desirable for thermoelectric and phase-change materials. Recently, vacancy ordering has been identified as the mechanism for metal-insulator transitions observed in GeSb{sub 2}Te{sub 4} and an unexpectedly low thermal conductivity in Ga{sub 2}Te{sub 3}. Here, we report the direct observation of vacancy ordering in Ga{sub 2}SeTe{sub 2} utilizing aberration-corrected electron microscopy. Images reveal a cation-anion dumbbell inversion associated with the accommodation of vacancy ordering across the entire crystal. The result is a striking example of the interplay between native defects and local structure.