Local structure of Y or Ho in Li₃MCl₆. (a) EXAFS spectra of Li₃MCl₆. (b) Fourier transform of EXAFS analysis of T-Li₃YCl₆; inset shows the structural model obtained from XANES derived from XRD. (c) Schematic image of the MCl₆-V_MCl₆-MCl₆ chain along the c-axis. V_M denotes the vacancy at the M site. (d) Schematic image of the arrangement of chains in S- and T-Li₃MCl₆. (d) Local structural models determined by our EXAFS results, where M atoms and vacancies appear alternatively along the c-direction. To ensure the consistency with the model determined by XRD, random occupation of M atoms at 2d (T-phase) or 2b (S-phase) cites of the same c-plane is considered.