Sm3La is beta Cu3Ti-like structured and crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are three inequivalent Sm sites. In the first Sm site, Sm(1) is bonded to eight Sm(1,1,1) and four equivalent La(1) atoms to form SmLa4Sm8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with fourteen Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; edges with twelve Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with sixteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra. In the second Sm site, Sm(1) is bonded to eight equivalent Sm(1) and four equivalent La(1) atoms to form SmLa4Sm8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with fourteen Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; edges with twelve equivalent Sm(1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with sixteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra. In the third Sm site, Sm(1) is bonded to eight equivalent Sm(1) and four equivalent La(1) atoms to form SmLa4Sm8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with fourteen Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; edges with twelve equivalent Sm(1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with sixteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra. La(1) is bonded to twelve Sm(1,1,1) atoms to form LaSm12 cuboctahedra that share corners with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with twelve Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with eighteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with eight equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with twelve Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra.
Sm3La is beta Cu3Ti-like structured and crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are three inequivalent Sm sites. In the first Sm site, Sm(1) is bonded to eight Sm(1,1,1) and four equivalent La(1) atoms to form SmLa4Sm8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with fourteen Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; edges with twelve Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with sixteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra. There are a spread of Sm(1)-Sm(1,1,1) bond distances ranging from 3.63-3.76 Å. There are two shorter (3.64 Å) and two longer (3.74 Å) Sm(1)-La(1) bond lengths. In the second Sm site, Sm(1) is bonded to eight equivalent Sm(1) and four equivalent La(1) atoms to form SmLa4Sm8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with fourteen Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; edges with twelve equivalent Sm(1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with sixteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra. There are two shorter (3.64 Å) and two longer (3.74 Å) Sm(1)-La(1) bond lengths. In the third Sm site, Sm(1) is bonded to eight equivalent Sm(1) and four equivalent La(1) atoms to form SmLa4Sm8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with fourteen Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; edges with twelve equivalent Sm(1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with four equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with sixteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra. There are two shorter (3.64 Å) and two longer (3.74 Å) Sm(1)-La(1) bond lengths. La(1) is bonded to twelve Sm(1,1,1) atoms to form LaSm12 cuboctahedra that share corners with six equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; corners with twelve Sm(1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; edges with eighteen Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra; faces with eight equivalent La(1)Sm12 cuboctahedra; and faces with twelve Sm(1,1,1)La4Sm8 cuboctahedra.