  Local structure of REOFeAs (RE=La, Pr, Nd, Sm) system has been studied as a
function of chemical pressure varied due to different rare-earth size. Fe
K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements in the
fluorescence mode has permitted to compare systematically the inter-atomic
distances and their mean square relative displacements (MSRD). We find that the
Fe-As bond length and the corresponding MSRD hardly show any change, suggesting
the strongly covalent nature of this bond, while the Fe-Fe and Fe-RE bond
lengths decrease with decreasing rare earth size. The results provide important
information on the atomic correlations that could have direct implication on
the superconductivity and magnetism of REOFeAs system, with the chemical
pressure being a key ingredient.
