Structural evolutions and electronic properties of Au_nGd(n=6–15) small clusters: A first principles study

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Au_nGd(n = 6–15) small clusters are investigated by using first principles spin polarized calculations and combining with the ab-initio evolutionary structure simulations. The calculated binding energies indicate that after doping a Gd atom Aun Gd cluster is obviously more stable than a pure Au_(n+1) cluster.Au_6Gd with the quasiplanar structure has a largest magnetic moment of 7.421 μ_B. The Gd-4 f electrons play an important role in determining the high magnetic moments of Au_nGd clusters, but in Au_6Gd and Au_(12) Gd clusters the unignorable spin polarized effects from the Au-6 s and Au-5 d electrons further enhance their magnetism. The HOMO–LUMO(here, HOMO and LUMO stand for the highest occupied molecular orbital, and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, respectively)energy gaps of Au_nGd clusters are smaller than those of pure Au_(n+1) clusters, indicating that Au_nGd clusters have potential as new catalysts with enhanced reactivity.     

Neutron diffraction study on composite compound Nd2Co7

The crystallographic and the magnetic structures of the composite compound Nd₂Co₇ at 300 K are investigated by a combined refinement of X-ray diffraction data and high-resolution neutron diffraction data. The compound crystallizes into a hexagonal Ce₂Ni₇-type structure and consists of alternately stacking MgZn₂-type NdCo₂ and CaCu₅-type NdCo₅ structural blocks along the c axis. A magnetic structure model with the moments of all atoms aligning along the c axis provides a satisfactory fitting to the neutron diffraction data and coincides with the easy magnetization direction revealed by the X-ray diffraction experiments on magnetically pre-aligned fine particles. The refinement results show that the derived atomic moments of the Co atoms vary in a range of 0.7 μ_B-1.1 μ_B and the atomic moment of Nd in the NdCo₅ slab is close to the theoretical moment of a free trivalent Nd³⁺ ion, whereas the atomic moment of Nd in the NdCo₂ slab is much smaller than the theoretical value for a free Nd³⁺ ion. The remarkable difference in the atomic moment of Nd atoms between different structural slabs at room temperature is explained in terms of the magnetic characteristics of the NdCo₂ and NdCo₅ compounds and the local chemical environments of the Nd atoms in different structural slabs of the Nd₂Co₇ compound.     

First-principles studies of electronic,optical,and mechanical properties of γ-Bi_2Sn_2O_7

The detailed theoretical studies of electronic,optical,and mechanical properties of γ-Bi_2Sn_2O_7 are carried out by using first-principle density functional theory calculations.Our calculated results indicate that γ-Bi_2Sn_2O_7 is the p-type semiconductor with an indirect band gap of about 2.72 e V.The flat electronic bands close to the valence band maximum are mainly composed of Bi-6s and O-2p states and play a key role in determining the electrical properties of γ-Bi_2Sn_2O_7.The calculated complex dielectric function and macroscopic optical constants including refractive index,extinction coefficient,absorption coefficients,reflectivity,and electron energy-loss function show that γ-Bi_2Sn_2O_7 is an excellent light absorbing material.The analysis on mechanical properties shows that γ-Bi_2Sn_2O_7 is mechanically stable and highly isotropic.     

Crystal structures, phase relationships, and magnetic phase transitions of RsM4 compounds （R = rare earths, M = Si, Ge）

Our recent studies of the crystal structures, phase transitions, and magnetic properties of intermetallic compounds RsM4 （R = rare earths; M = Si, Ge） are reviewed briefly. First, crystal structures, phase relationships, and magnetic prop- erties of several 5：4 compounds, including Nd5 Si4-xGex, Pr5 Si4_xGex, Gds-xLaxGe4, La5 Si4, and Gd5 Sn4, are presented. In particular, the canted spin structures as well as the magnetic phase transitions in PrsSi2Ge2 and PrsGe4 investigated by neutron powder diffractions and small-angle neutron scattering are reviewed. Second, the crystal structures and magnetic properties of the most studied compounds Gds（Si,Ge）4 are summarized. The focus is on the parent compound GdsGe4, which is an amazing material exhibiting magnetic anisotropy, angular dependent spin-flop transition, metastable magnetic response, Griffiths-like phase, thermal effect under pulsed fields, antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic resonances, pro- nounced effects of impurities, and high-field induced magnetic transitions.     

稀土富过渡族金属化合物的形成条件、晶体结构和磁性能(Ⅱ)

稀土(R)富过渡族金属(T)化合物是探索新型稀土永磁材料的主要研究对象,其磁性能与晶体结构密切相关。本文系统综述了我们近年来针对二元化合物不存在的情况下,通过第三组元M的稳定作用,合成和稳定具有CaCu5型衍生结构的化合物Rm-nT5m+2n(包括R(T,M)7,R2(T,M)17,R3(T,M)29和R(T,M)12),具有NaZn13型结构的化合物R(T,M)13,以及m层RT5和n层RT3B2组合的化合物Rm+nT5m+3nB2n等方面的主要研究结果。重点讨论了这些化合物的晶体结构、形成条件和磁性能,阐述了加入M对化合物的稳定作用机制,及M的晶体学占位对磁性能的影响。研究结果表明:M的加入不仅能够起到稳定化合物的作用,往往还可以显著改善化合物的磁性能。     

The crystal structures and physical properties of the solid solution compound Ba₅Y_8-xMn₄O_21-1.5x（x = 0,1）

New oxometallides with the formula Ba5Y8 xMn4O21 1.5x(x = 0,1) are prepared through an atmospherecontrolled solid-state reaction.Two single-phase samples with Ba/Y/Mn atomic ratios 5/8/4(Y8) and 5/7/4(Y7) are obtained.The crystal structures and the physical properties of the compounds are investigated by X-ray powder diffraction,magnetization,conductivity,and dielectricity measurements.The Ba5Y8 xMn4O21 1.5x compound is demonstrated to be a Y-deficient solid solution.The solid solution compound Ba5Y8 xMn4O21 1.5x crystallizes into tetragonal symmetry with the space group I4/m.Detailed structure analysis by Rietveld refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction data reveals that the Y vacancies occur preferentially at the Y(2) site.Thermal magnetization measurements indicate the presence of antiferromagnetic interaction between Mn ions in the compounds,and temperature-dependent resistivity measurements show that insulator-semiconductor transitions occur around 175 K and 170 K for the Y8 and Y7 samples,respectively.Strong frequency dependences of the dielectric constant are observed above ～175 K for the two compounds.     

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of Nd（Mn1-xFex）2Si2 compounds

X-ray powder diffraction,resistivity and magnetization studies have been performed on polycrystalline Nd(FexMn1-x)2Si2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) compounds which crystallize in a ThCr2Si2-type structure with the space group I4/mmm.The field-cooled temperature dependence of the magnetization curves shows that,at low temperatures,NdFe2Si2 is antiferromagnetic,while the other compounds show ferromagnetic behaviour.The substitution of Fe for Mn leads to a decrease in lattice parameters a,c and unit-cell volume V .The Curie temperature of the compounds first increases,reaches a maximum around x = 0.7,then decreases with Fe content.However,the saturation magnetization decreases monotonically with increasing Fe content.This Fe concentration dependent magnetization of Nd(FexMn1-x)2Si2 compounds can be well explained by taking into account the complex effect on magnetic properties due to the substitution of Mn by Fe.The temperature’s square dependence on electrical resistivity indicates that the curve of Nd(Fe0.6Mn0.4)2Si2 has a quasi-linear character above its Curie temperature,which is typical of simple metals.     

Sb2Te3 纳米结构的制备与表征

以室温热电性能优异的传统热电材料Sb₂Te₃为研究对象,利用化学气相沉积法制备Sb₂Te₃单晶纳米结构,并研究其生长机理.实验结果表明,不加催化剂时Sb₂Te₃易生长成六方纳米盘,在金催化剂条件下定向生长成纳米线.Sb₂Te₃的形貌与其晶体结构和生长机理有关.Sb₂Te₃为三角结构,Sb和     

Structure, dielectric and magnetodielectric properties of Bi1-xGdxFeO3 Ceramics

Different magnetodielectric effects were observed in Bi1-xGdxFeO3 ceramics depending on gadolinium content. A positive one was observed in the samples with x ≤0.10 at 295K and 16K, and a negative one in the sample with x = 0.4 at 16 K. Structure analysis by x-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that the samples crystallize in the R3c structure (ferroelectrics) for x<0.08 and in the Pbnm structure (paraelectrics) for x≥0.3 at room temperature. Temperature-dependent dielectric response and x-ray diffraction confirm the occurrence of a structural transition in the Pbnm phase at low temperature for the samples with x ≤0.4. While the positive magnetodielectric effects can be attributed to a coupling of magnetic and crystallographic structures of the R3c phase, the observed negative magnetodielectric effect in the Pbnm phase can be associated with a low-temperature modification of the Pbnm structure. The observed dualsigned magnetodielectric effects suggest that the Bi1-xGdxFeO3 oxides are a good prototype for understanding the magnetodielectric coupling mechanism in this kind of materials.     

R-site cation randomness effect in the A-site ordered Y0.5La0.5BaMn2O6 compound

The R/Ba-ordered and R-site mixed compound Y0.5La0.5BaMn2O6 is synthesized, in which (Y, La) and Ba are regularly arranged, while Y and La randomly occupy the R-site. Y0.5La0.5BaMn2O6 has a tetragonal unit cell with a space group of P4/mmm. A structural transition between tetragonal and orthorhombic is observed at about 325 K by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Thermal magnetic measurement shows the occurrence of an antiferromagnetic transition at the temperature TN～190 K. Anomalies in magnetization, resistivity and lattice parameters observed around 340 K indicate a charge/orbital order transition accompanying the structural phase transition. The R-site randomness effect is discussed to interpret the different properties of Y0.5La0.5BaMn2O6 between NdBaMn2O6 and SmBaMn2O6.