Local and average structures of the spin-glass pyrochlore Y2Mo2O7 from neutron diffraction and neutron pair distribution function analysis

The observation of canonical spin-glass behavior in the pyrochlore oxide Y2Mo2O7 has been a subject of considerable interest as the original structural studies were interpreted in terms of a well-ordered crystallographic model. It is widely held that the stabilization of the spin-glass state requires some level of positional disorder along with frustration. Recent reports from local probe measurements, extended x-ray-absorption fine structure …