Ab initio calculations of structural,electronic, and optical properties of Cu2HgSnSe4

The electronic structure of Cu₂HgSnSe₄ in stannite structure is studied by the first-principles calculations. This material is a direct band-gap compound. In addition, the dielectric function, absorption coefficient, reflectivity, and energy-loss function are studied using the density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation. We discuss the optical transitions between the valence bands and the conduction bands in the spectra of the imaginary part of the dielectric function at length. High and wide optical absorption spectrum is obtained. There are several prominent peaks for Cu₂HgSnSe₄ in the reflectivity spectra. And a rapid decrease of reflectance corresponds to the prominent peak in the energy-loss spectrum.     

Light Absorption Properties and Electronic Band Structures of Lead‐Vanadium Oxyhalide Apatites Pb5(VO4)3X (X=F,Cl, Br,I)

The Pb‐V oxyhalide apatite compounds Pb₅(VO₄)₃X (X=F, Cl, Br, I) were successfully synthesized using a facile solution method and studied with respect to their structural/optical characteristics and electronic band structures. UV‐visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, electrochemical analysis and first‐principles calculations showed that the synthesized apatites behaved as n‐type semiconductors, with absorption bands in the UV‐visible region that could be assigned to electron transitions from the valence band to a conduction band formed by hybridized V 3d and Pb 6p orbitals. Among the apatites examined, Pb₅(VO₄)₃I had the smallest band gap of 2.7 eV, due to an obvious contribution of I 5p orbitals to the valence band maximum. Based on its visible light absorption capability, Pb₅(VO₄)₃I generated a continuous anodic photocurrent under visible light (λ>420 nm) in a solution of 0.1 m NaI in acetonitrile.     

SCF-Xα MO studies of the x-ray spectra of CuO and ZnO

SCF-Xα scattered wave cluster MO calculations for the oxyanions CuO^?6₄ (D_4h symmetry) and ZnO^?6₄ (Td symmetry) yield results in good agreement with the X-ray photoelectron and X-ray emission spectra of CuO and ZnO, respectively. Agreement of the calculations with optical data is fair. Calculations of the valence electron and core electron hole states of these oxyanions support the assignment of photoelectron shakeup satellites to valence band to conduction band transitions. Calculated shakeup energies for the Cu2p core spectrum in CuO are 7.4 and 9.9 eV (cf. experimental values of 7.5 and 10.0 eV) while shakeup peaks in the valence region spectrum are predicted at 6.1 and 8.0 eV. (Cf. a broad peak with maximum at 8.1 eV observed experimentally.) The absence of intense low energy satellites in the spectra of ZnO is explained by the small amount of electron reorganization in the outer valence levels attendant upon hole formation.     

Electron microscopy, spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations of Cs2O

Oxides of cesium play a key role in ameliorating the photoelectron emission of various opto-electronic devices. However, due to their extreme reactivity, their electronic and optical properties have hardly been touched upon. With the objective of better understanding the electronic and optical properties of Cs₂O in relationship to its structure, an experimental and theoretical study of this compound was undertaken. First-principles density functional theory calculations were performed. The preferred structural motif for this compound was found to be anti-CdCl₂. Here three Cs-O-Cs molecular layers are stacked together through relatively weak van-der-Waals forces. The energy bands were also calculated. The lowest transition at 1.45 eV, was found to be between the K point in the valence band to the Γ point in the conduction band. A direct transition at 2 eV was found in the center (Γ) of the Brillouin zone. X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction were used to analyze the synthesized material. These measurements showed good agreement with the calculated structure of this compound. Absorption measurements at 4.2 K indicated two optical transitions with somewhat higher energy (indirect one at 1.65 and a direct transition at 2.2 eV, respectively). Photoluminescence measurements also showed similar transitions, suggesting that the lower indirect transition is enhanced by three nearby minima at 1.5 eV in the Brillouin zone.     

A First-Principles Calculation of Electronic Properties of LiNH<Subscript>2</Subscript> and NaNH<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Band spectra, densities of states, total and deformation densities of α-LiNH₂ and α-NaNH₂ are calculated from the first principles using the density functional method in the all-electron approximation. The upper valence band is formed mostly by nitrogen p-states with a small admixture of metal states, the lower conduction bands are formed by the states of all atoms in α-LiNH₂ and mainly by sodium and nitrogen states in α-NaNH₂. The bottom of the conduction band appears in both crystals in the center of the Brillouin zone. α-LiNH₂ exhibits indirect-gap transitions at the absorption edge and three valence band extrema at a short distance of ~0.15 eV from each other. The top of the valence band in α-NaNH₂ appears in the center of the Brillouin zone with the competing maximum at the lateral point at a distance of ~0.06 eV. The electron density distributions testify that polar covalent bonding occur inside the amide anion and ionic bonding occurs between the metal and the amide ion.     

Determination of the interface band alignment of Mg2Si/4H-SiC heterojuction for potential photodetector application

The Mg₂Si/4H-SiC heterojunction was prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The binding energies of Mg 2p, Si 2p, and C 1s core levels and the maxima of valence band were measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Using the optical bandgap of Mg₂Si (0.78 eV) and 4H-SiC (3.25 eV), the band offsets of valence band (VBO) and conduction band (CBO) at Mg₂Si/4H-SiC interface were identified as 1.47 and 1.00 eV, respectively. The band alignment was evaluated to be type-I band alignment. The Mg₂Si/4H-SiC heterojunction could be a promising candidate for the infrared (IR) photodetector.     

First-principles study of structural,elastic, electronic and optical properties of perovskites XCaH3 (X = Cs and Rb) under pressure

The stability, structural parameters, elastic constants, electronic and optical properties of perovskites CsCaH₃ and RbCaH₃ were investigated by the density functional theory. The calculated lattice parameters are in agreement with previous calculation and experimental data. The energy band structures, density of states, born-effective-charge and Mulliken charge population were obtained. The perovskites CsCaH₃ and RbCaH₃ present a direct band gap of 3.15 eV and 3.27 eV at equilibrium. The top of the valence bands reflects the s electronic character for both structures. Furthermore, the absorption spectrum, refractive index, extinction coefficient, reflectivity, energy-loss spectrum, and dielectric function were calculated. The origin of the spectral peaks was interpreted based on the electronic structures. The static dielectric constant and refractive index are indeed, inverse proportional to the direct band gap.     

聚偏二氟乙烯晶体的电子结构和光学性质

利用含Tkatchenko-Scheffler(TS)色散修正的密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法对九种聚偏二氟乙烯(PVDF)晶相的电子结构和光学性质进行了计算. 结果表明,PVDF晶体作为一种绝缘体,能带具有密集且平直等特征,其带隙值在6.05-7.34 eV之间,且和实验值接近. 价带主要是F原子的2s和2p态起主要贡献,导带主要由C原子的2p态和H原子的1s态共同参与构成. 在0-35 eV光子能量范围内,介电函数、吸收率、反射率和折射率等光学性质发生变化主要在深紫外区域. 根据介电函数等光学参数的谱特点,可以将九种PVDF的晶相划分为{Ⅰ_p},{Ⅱ_pu},{Ⅱ_au,Ⅱ_ad,Ⅱ_pd,Ⅲ_pu},{Ⅲ_au,Ⅲ_ad,Ⅲ_pd}等四类,每一类都具有相似的光学参数特点.     

Semiconducting thin films of zinc selenide quantum dots

A novel chemical route for deposition of zinc selenide quantum dots in thin film form is developed. The deposited films are characterized with very high purity in crystallographic sense, and behave as typical intrinsic semiconductors. Evolution of the average crystal size, lattice constant, lattice strain and the optical properties of the films upon thermal treatment is followed and discussed. The band gap energy of as-deposited ZnSe films is blue-shifted by ≈0.50 eV with respect to the bulk value, while upon annealing treatment it converges to 2.58 eV. Two discrete electronic states which originate from the bulk valence band are observed in the UV-VIS spectra of ZnSe 3D quantum dots deposited in thin film form via allowed electronic transitions to the 1S electronic state arising from the bulk conduction band—appearing at 3.10 and 3.50 eV. The splitting between these two states is approximately equal to the spin-orbit splitting in the case of bulk ZnSe. The electronic transitions in the case of non-quantized annealed films are discussed in terms of the direct allowed band-to-band transitions with the spin-orbit splitting of the valence band of 0.40 eV. The effective mass approximation model (i.e., the Brus model) with the static relative dielectric constant of bulk ZnSe fails to predict correctly the size dependence of the band gap energy, while only a slight improvement is obtained when the hyperbolic band model is applied. However, when substantially smaller value for ε_r (2.0 instead of 8.1) is used in the Brus model, an excellent agreement with the experimental data is obtained, which supports some earlier indications that the quantum dots ε_r value could be significantly smaller than the bulk material value. The ionization energy of a deep donor impurity level calculated on the basis of the temperature dependence of the film resistivity is 0.82 eV at 0 K.     

Phase equilibria in the systems ZnSAl2S3 and ZnAl2S4ZnIn2S4

Phase relationships between 720 and 1110°C were determined in the system ZnSAl₂S₃ including: (a) the location of a eutectoid at 740°C and 15 mole% Al₂S₃, (b) the solubility limits of Al₂S₃ in the zinc blende and wurtzite forms of ZnS and the spinel and wurtzite forms of ZnAl₂S₄, and (c) the probable relationships at the liquidus. The system ZnAl₂S₄ZnIn₂S₄ at 800 to 1050°C was found to be a simple eutectic type with the following features: (a) a eutectic point at 930–950°C and approximately 20 mole% ZnIn₂S₄, (b) a large region of ZnIn₂S₄ solid solutions, and (c) little solubility of ZnIn₂S₄ in ZnAl₂S₄.     

Synthesis and Electronic Structures and Linear Optics of Solid State Compound SrB2O4

The cluster (SrB₂O₄)₂ existing in crystalline states is employed to model the electronic structure and linear optical properties of solid state compound SrB₂O₄. This compound is synthesized by high temperature solution reaction, and it crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn with cell dimensions a = 1.1995(3), b = 0.4337(1), c = 0.6575(1) nm, V = 0.34202 nm³, and Z = 4, μ = 15.14 cm^?1, D_caled = 3.36 g/cm³. The dynamic refractive indices are obtained in terms of INDO/SCI following combination with the Sum‐Over‐States method. A width of the calculated gap is 4.424 eV between the valence band and conduction band, and the calculated average refractive index is 1.980 at a wavelength of 1.065 μm. The charge transfers from O^2‐ anion orbitals to Sr²⁺cation orbitals make the significant contributions to linear polarizability in terms of analyses of atomic state density contributing to the valence and conduction bands.     

Effects of Coverage,Water, and Defects on Catechol/TiO2 Interface

Catechol adsorbed on TiO₂ is one of the simplest models to explore the relevant properties of dye-sensitized solar cells. However, the effects of water and defects on the electronic levels and the excitonic properties of the catechol/TiO₂ interface have been rarely explored. Here, we investigate four catechol/TiO₂ interfaces aiming to study the influence of coverage, water, and defects on the electronic levels and the excitonic properties of the catechol/TiO₂ interface through the first-principles many-body Green's function theory. We find that the adsorption of catechol on the rutile (110) surface increases the energies of both the TiO₂ valence band maximum and conduction band minimum by approximately 0.7 eV. The increasing coverage and the presence of water can reduce the optical absorption of charge-transfer excitons with maximum oscillator strength. Regarding the reduced hydroxylated TiO₂ substrate, the conduction band minimum decreases greatly, resulting in a sub-bandgap of 2.51 eV. The exciton distributions in the four investigated interfaces can spread across several unit cells, especially for the hydroxylated TiO₂ substrate. Although the hydroxylated TiO₂ substrate leads to a lower open-circuit voltage, it may increase the separation between photogenerated electrons and holes and may therefore be beneficial for improving the photovoltaic efficiency by controlling its concentration. Our results may provide guidance for the design of highly efficient solar cells in future.     

Density Functional Characterization of the Electronic Structure and Visible‐Light Absorption of Cr‐Doped Anatase TiO2

To evaluate the electronic and optical properties of Cr‐doped anatase TiO₂, three possible Cr‐doped TiO₂ models, including Cr at a Ti site (model I), Cr at a Ti site with an oxygen vacancy compensation (model II), and an interstitial Cr site (model III), are studied by means of first principles density functional theory calculations. In model I, the splitting behavior of the Cr 3d states and the insulating properties are successfully depicted by the GGA+U method, from which it is proposed that Cr at a Ti site should exist as Cr⁴⁺ instead of the generally believed Cr³⁺. As a result, the electron transitions between these impurity states, the conduction band (CB), and the valence band (VB), as well as the d–d transitions between occupied and unoccupied Cr 3d states, provide a reasonable explanation for the experimentally observed major and minor absorption bands. In models II and III, the impurity states and associated optical transition processes—as well as the corresponding electron configurations—are examined.     

Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of K2Ti6O13 Doped with Transition Metal Fe or Ag

Based on the experimental study of the optical properties of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ doped with Fe or Ag, their electronic structures and optical properties are studied by the first-principles method based on the density functional theory (DFT). The calculated optical properties are consistent with the experiment results. K₂Ti₆O₁₃ doped with substitutional Fe or Ag has isolated impurity bands mainly stemming from the hybridization by the Fe 3d states or Ag 4d states with Ti 3d states and O 2p states and the band gap becomes narrower, the absorption edge of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ thus has a clear red shift and the absorption of visible light can be realized after doping. For Fe-doped K₂Ti₆O₁₃, the impurity bands are in the middle of the band gap, suggesting that they can be used as a bridge for valence band electrons transition to the conduction band. For Ag-doped K₂Ti₆O₁₃, the impurity bands form a shallow acceptor above the valence band and can reduce the recombination rate of photoexcited carriers. The experimental and calculated results are significant for the development of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ materials that have absorption under visible light.     

Insights into photoluminescence property and photocatalytic activity of cubic and rhombohedral ZnIn2S4

Cubic and rhombohedral ZnIn₂S₄ were synthesized by thermal sulfidation of Zn-In mixed oxide precursor in H₂S atmosphere at different temperatures. Cubic ZnIn₂S₄ was obtained when Zn-In mixed oxide precursor was sulfurized at 400 °C. With sulfidation temperature increasing from 400 to 800 °C, the crystal phase of ZnIn₂S₄ gradually turned from cubic to rhombohedral, which was demonstrated by different analysis techniques such as XRD, Raman, SEM, etc. UV-vis absorption spectra indicated that cubic ZnIn₂S₄ displayed better light absorption property than rhombohedral ZnIn₂S₄, with band gaps calculated to be 2.0 and 2.5 eV, respectively. However, under visible light irradiation, rhombohedral ZnIn₂S₄ photocatalyzed H₂ evolution from aqueous sodium sulfite/sulfide solution efficiently, whereas cubic ZnIn₂S₄ was not active for this reaction. The photoluminescence property revealed the different dynamics of photogenerated carriers, which made a predominant contribution to the increasing photocatalytic performances of ZnIn₂S₄ with crystal phase turning from cubic to rhombohedral.     

Etude du pouvoir thermoélectrique des composés Cr3Se4−xTex (0 ≤ x ≤ 4)

Seebeck coefficient (S) determination has been carried out on nine polycrystalline samples in the Cr₃Se_4?xTe_x series (x = 0; 0.5; 1; 1.5; 2; 2.5; 3; 3.5; 4). A thermoelectric cell was constructed, which works automatically between 14 and 320 K with a precision better than 5%. For high concentration in selenium, the thermoelectric power remains negative over the whole temperature range. Such is not the case with tellurium-rich compounds where the Seebeck coefficient, negative at 320 K, becomes positive at lower temperatures. Anomalies are observed on the S = f(T) curves at temperatures T_t in the vicinity of the magnetic transitions. Transport properties for selenium-rich compounds are discussed in terms of narrow-band conduction. Hole conduction, which appears for x ≥ 3 at low temperature, is interpreted as due to an overlapping band conduction between 3d levels and the valence band.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and properties of a quaternary oxide with a new structure type,BiGaTi4O11

A new quaternary oxide, BiGaTi₄O₁₁ (bismuth gallium tetratitanium undecaoxide), was prepared by heating a mixture of the binary oxides at 1373 K in air. BiGaTi₄O₁₁ melts at 1487 K and prismatic single crystals were obtained from a sample melted at 1523 K and solidified by furnace cooling. The structure of BiGaTi₄O₁₁ was analyzed using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction to be of a new type that crystallized in the space group Cmcm. A Bi³⁺ site is coordinated by nine O^2? anions, and three oxygen‐coordinated octahedral sites are statistically occupied by Ga³⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ cations. A relative dielectric constant of 46 with a temperature coefficient of 57 ppm K^?1 in the temperature range 297–448 K was measured for a polycrystalline ceramic sample at 150 Hz–1 MHz with a dielectric loss tan δ of less than 0.01. Electrical resistivities measured at 1073 K by alternating‐current impedance spectroscopic and direct‐current methods were 1.16 × 10^?4 and 1.14 × 10^?4 S cm^?1, respectively, which indicates that electrons and/or holes were conduction carriers at high temperature. The optical band gap estimated by the results of diffuse reflectance analysis was 2.9–3.0 eV, while the band gap obtained from the activation energy for electrical conduction was 3.5 eV.     

The reflectivity spectra of ZnXP2 (X=Si, Ge, and Sn) compounds

Full Potential Augmented Plane Wave plus local orbital method ( FAPW+lo) calculations were performed for ZnSiP₂, ZnGeP₂, and ZnSnP₂ in the chalcopyrite structure in order to investigate the optical properties and to show the origin of the different optical transitions and their correspondence in the band structure. It is found that the most important features of the band gap is pseudo-direct for ZnSiP₂, indirect for ZnGeP₂, and direct for ZnSnP₂. Then the contribution of the different transitions peaks are analyzed from the imaginary part of the dielectric function and the reflectivity spectra.     

Modulating opto-electronic and magnetic responses of Mo- and Zn-adsorbed LiNbO3 (1 1 1) surface for advanced energy harvesting applications: A comprehensive study

This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the optoelectronic and magnetic properties of Mo, Zn/LiNbO₃ (1 1 1) material. The primary objectives were to understand the potential for manipulating the material's magnetism and to elucidate the origin of spin-polarized states and magnetic moments, particularly with respect to the unpaired d orbitals of Nb, Mo, and Zn atoms. To achieve these objectives, we employed the Pardew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) method within the Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA + U) framework. This computational approach allowed us to examine the optoelectronic and magnetic characteristics of the material in detail. Our research yielded several key findings that enhance our understanding of Mo, Zn/LiNbO₃ (1 1 1) material. We observed a modest improvement in the material's absorption capacity within the visible spectrum, accompanied by a discernible red-shift. Notably, our study involved the calculation of the dielectric function and refractive constant of the material, revealing a strong correlation between absorption trends and the dielectric constant. Furthermore, our investigation uncovered that Mo, Zn/LiNbO₃ (1 1 1) exhibits distinct conduction and valence bands, with p and d orbitals predominantly contributing to each, respectively. The energy gap of the material falls within a range of 0.30–1.04 eV. A particularly significant finding was the narrower band gap of Mo, Zn/LiNbO₃ (1 1 1) material, which can be attributed to the superposition of Mo-d and Zn-p orbit energy levels with O-p orbit energy levels, ultimately forming a covalent bond. Importantly, our research demonstrated the material's heightened optical absorption within the visible spectrum, suggesting its suitability for various photonic and optoelectronic applications. Additionally, we calculated a wide range of optical characteristics, including the dielectric function, absorption coefficient, energy loss, reflectivity, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical conductivity, providing a comprehensive assessment of the material's optical properties.