Microstructural features and domain formation in (Ba,Sr) ₂TiSi₂O₈ fresnoites

The formation and co-existence of crystallographically modulated and non-modulated regions in (Ba,Sr)₂TiSi₂O₈ fresnoites is reviewed, particularly the dependence on local composition. It is shown that perturbations of the average fresnoite structure, determined from appreciable single crystals, are in some cases better described as nanometric domain intergrowths where departures from ideal stoichiometry are characteristics of incommensuration, while modulation is absent from volumes that are less perturbed chemically. Evidence for this differentiation is obtained from selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images. The domains are readily distinguished by their unique contrast in bright field electron micrographs. Fourier reconstructions of HRTEM images collected from areas with darker contrast show that modulation can change within relatively small volumes. Nearby areas with lighter contrast were found by SAED to be free of structural disorder and incommensurate reflections.