Band Jahn-Teller type structural transition in La3−xS4 compounds

Abstract La-chalcogenides La 3 S 4 in pure state or with small number of vacancies at La-sites undergo cubic to tetragonal structural transition which can be explained on the basis of a band Jahn-Teller model. Some characteristics of band Jahn-Teller transition associated with a two-fold degenerate band are discussed on the background of the recent experimental results on La 3− x S 4 compounds.