Calculated structural, electronic and elastic properties of M2GeC (M=Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W)

Using ab initio calculations, we have studied the structural, electronic and elastic properties of M₂GeC, with M=Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W. Geometrical optimizations of the unit cell are in agreement with the available experimental data. The band structures show that all studied materials are electrical conductors. The analysis of the site and momentum projected densities shows that bonding is due to M d-C p and M d-Ge p hybridizations. The elastic constants are calculated using the static finite strain technique. The shear modulus C ₄₄, which is directly related to the hardness, reaches its maximum when the valence electron concentration is in the range 8.41–8.50. We derived the bulk and shear moduli, Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratio for ideal polycrystalline M₂GeC aggregates. We estimated the Debye temperature of M₂GeC from the average sound velocity. This is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the elastic constants of Ti₂GeC, V₂GeC, Cr₂GeC, Zr₂GeC, Nb₂GeC, Mo₂GeC, Hf₂GeC, Ta₂GeC and W₂GeC compounds, and it still awaits experimental confirmation.     

Physical properties of tetragonal transition-metal borides Nb2MB2 (M = Mo,W, Re or Os) with a new superstructure

The mechanical and thermodynamic properties, chemical bonding characteristics and electronic structure of Nb₂MB₂ (M = Mo, W, Re or Os) with a new tetragonal U₃Si₂-type superstructure (space group P4/mnc, no. 128) were studied by means of density functional theory calculations. All Nb₂MB₂ structures studied were demonstrated to be thermodynamically and mechanically stable. The bulk, shear and Young's moduli, Poisson's ratio, Debye temperature and anisotropy factors were derived for ideal polycrystalline Nb₂MB₂ aggregates. Among these compounds, Nb₂WB₂ was found to have the highest shear modulus and hardness. The electronic densities of state and electronic localization function analysis revealed the metallicity and strong covalent B–B, Nb–B and M−B bonding in Nb₂MB₂. Moreover, these results reveal that the covalence between Nb 4d, M nd (n = 4 for Mo and 5 for W, Re and Os) and B 2p states is the cause of the relatively higher elastic modulus and hardness of the Nb-based compounds. Finally, thermodynamic properties, including the bulk modulus, heat capacity and thermal expansion coefficient of Nb₂WB₂ were obtained systematically under high temperature and pressure.     

Theoretical study of the structural, elastic, electronic and thermal properties of the MAX phase Nb2SiC

Structural, elastic, electronic and thermal properties of the MAX phase Nb₂SiC are studied by means of a pseudo-potential plane-wave method based on the density functional theory. The optimized zero pressure geometrical parameters are in good agreement with the available theoretical data. The effect of high pressure, up to 40 GPa, on the lattice constants shows that the contractions along the c-axis were higher than those along the a-axis. The elastic constants C_ij and elastic wave velocities are calculated for monocrystal Nb₂SiC. Numerical estimations of the bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, average sound velocity and Debye temperature for ideal polycrystalline Nb₂SiC aggregates are performed in the framework of the Voigt-Reuss-Hill approximation. The band structure shows that Nb₂SiC is an electrical conductor. The analysis of the atomic site projected densities and the charge density distribution shows that the bonding is of covalent-ionic nature with the presence of metallic character. The density of states at Fermi level is dictated by the niobium d states; Si element has a little effect. Thermal effects on some macroscopic properties of Nb₂SiC are predicted using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, in which the lattice vibrations are taken into account. The variations of the primitive cell volume, volume expansion coefficient, bulk modulus, heat capacity and Debye temperature with pressure and temperature in the ranges of 0-40 GPa and 0-2000 K are obtained successfully.     

First-principles investigations on structural,elastic, electronic properties and Debye temperature of orthorhombic Ni3Ta under pressure

The structural, elastic, electronic properties and Debye temperature of Ni₃Ta under different pressures are investigated using the first-principles method based on density functional theory. Our calculated equilibrium lattice parameters at 0 GPa well agree with the experimental and previous theoretical results. The calculated negative formation enthalpies and elastic constants both indicate that Ni₃Ta is stable under different pressures. The bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, Young’s modulus E and Poisson’s ratio ν are calculated by the Voigt–Reuss–Hill method. The bigger ratio of B/G indicates Ni₃Ta is ductile and the pressure can improve the ductility of Ni₃Ta. In addition, the results of density of states and the charge density difference show that the stability of Ni₃Ta is improved by the increasing pressure. The Debye temperature Θ _D calculated from elastic modulus increases along with the pressure.     

Structural,elastic, electronic and thermal properties of M2SbP (M = Ti,Zr and Hf)

The structural, elastic, electronic and thermal properties of M₂SbP (M = Ti, Zr and Hf) were studied by means of a pseudo-potential plane-wave method based on the density functional theory within both the local density approximation and the generalised gradient approximation. The optimised zero-pressure geometrical parameters, i.e. the two unit cell lengths (a, c) and the internal coordinate (z), were in good agreement with available experimental and theoretical data. The effect of high pressure, up to 20 GPa, on the lattice constants shows that the contractions along the a-axis were higher than along c-axis. The anisotropic independent elastic constants were calculated using the static finite strain technique. Numerical estimations of the bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, average sound velocity and Debye temperature for ideal polycrystalline M₂SbP aggregates were performed in the framework of the Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation. The calculated band structures show that all studied materials are electrical conductors. Analysis of the atomic site projected densities showed that the bonding is of covalent–ionic nature with the presence of metallic character. The density of states at the Fermi level is dictated by the transition metal d–d bands; the Sb element has little effect. Thermal effects on some macroscopic properties of M₂SbP were predicted using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, in which the lattice vibrations are taken into account. The variations of the volume expansion coefficient, heat capacity and Debye temperature with pressure and temperature in the ranges 0–50 GPa and 0–2000 K were obtained successfully.     

Structures and elastic properties of paraelectric and ferroelectric KTa0.5Nb0.5O3 from first-principles calculation

The structures, elastic properties and intrinsic hardness of B-O bonds of KTa_0.5Nb_0.5O₃ crystal in paraelectric and ferroelectric phase structures have been investigated by means of the density functional theory. Both structures are found to be elastically stable and in good agreement with available results. The elastic properties including the bulk modulus, shear modulus and Young’s modulus change largely during phase transition. The paraelectric KTa_0.5Nb_0.5O₃ crystal is more incompressible and harder than ferroelectric phase. The hardness of KTa_0.5Nb_0.5O₃ crystal is mostly determined by Nb-O bonds and the modifications of the bond strength affect the hardness of the crystal. Charge density contours indicate that the electronic distributions between B-O bonds play an important role in the formation of elastic properties.     

External strain effect on the electronic and mechanical properties of the superconductor Nb2InC

We use first-principles method to investigate the effects of external strain ε on the structural, mechanical and electronic properties for the superconductor Nb₂InC. The results show that the tensile strain induces an isostructural phase transition in Nb₂InC. The elastic constants C_ij, bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, Young's moduli E, and Poisson ratio v_ij of Nb₂InC were also investigated in the range from ε=−10% to ε=10%. It indicates that Nb₂InC is mechanically stable under external strain, and its brittle–ductile transition occurs at ε=3.5%. Moreover, Nb₂InC gets a negative Poisson ratio at ε=4%. The calculated electronic structures indicate that the Nb–C bonding is stronger than Nb–In bonding in Nb₂InC. The energy band structures and densities of states of strained Nb₂InC were also calculated and discussed in detail. From these calculations, it is clear that the related properties of Nb₂InC can be easily tuned by strain. Therefore, our findings are very useful to tailor the physical properties of Nb₂InC by using strain engineering.     

Structural, electronic and elastic properties of Ti2TlC, Zr2TlC and Hf2TlC

Using First-principle calculations, we have studied the structural, electronic and elastic properties of M₂TlC, with M = Ti, Zr and Hf. Geometrical optimization of the unit cell is in good agreement with the available experimental data. The effect of high pressures, up to 20 GPa, on the lattice constants shows that the contractions are higher along the c-axis than along the a axis. We have observed a quadratic dependence of the lattice parameters versus the applied pressure. The band structures show that all three materials are electrical conductors. The analysis of the site and momentum projected densities shows that bonding is due to M d-C p and M d-Tl p hybridizations. The M d-C p bonds are lower in energy and stiffer than M d-Tl p bonds. The elastic constants are calculated using the static finite strain technique. We derived the bulk and shear moduli, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio for ideal polycrystalline M₂TlC aggregates. We estimated the Debye temperature of M₂TlC from the average sound velocity. This is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the elastic properties of Ti₂TlC, Zr₂TlC, and Hf₂TlC compounds that requires experimental confirmation.      

Ab initio calculation of the electronic structure,Fermi surface,and elastic properties of the new 7.5-K superconductor Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>InC

Ab initio calculations were performed to investigate electronic and elastic properties of the newly discovered 7.5 K superconductor: layered Nb₂InC. As a result, electronic bands, total and site-projected l—decomposed density of states at the Fermi level, shape of the Fermi surface for Nb₂InC were obtained for the first time. Besides, independent elastic constants, bulk modulus, compressibility, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio together with the elastic anisotropy parameters and indicator of brittle/ductile behavior of Nb₂InC were evaluated and analyzed in comparison with the available data.     

Structural, elastic, electronic and optical properties of a new layered-ternary Ta4SiC3 compound

We propose a new layered-ternary Ta₄SiC₃ with two different stacking sequences (α- and β-phases) of the metal atoms along c axis and study their structural stability. The mechanical, electronic and optical properties are then calculated and compared with those of other compounds M₄AX₃ (M=V, Nb, Ta; A=Al, Si and X=C). The predicted compound in the α-phase is found to possess higher bulk modulus than these compounds. The independent elastic constants of the two phases are also evaluated and the results discussed. The electronic band structures for α- and β-Ta₄SiC₃ show metallic conductivity. Ta 5d electrons are mainly contributing to the total density of states (DOS). We see that the hybridization peak of Ta 5d and C 2p lies lower in energy and the Ta 5d-C 2p bond is stronger than Ta 5d-Si 3p bond. Further an analysis of the different optical properties shows the compound to possess improved behavior compared to similar types of compounds.     

Structural,elastic, thermodynamic and electronic properties of LuX (X = N,Bi and Sb) compounds: first principles calculations

ABSTRACT

The structural, electronic, elastic and thermodynamic properties of LuX (X = N, Bi and Sb) based on rare earth into phases, Rocksalt (B1) and CsCl (B2) have been investigated using full-potential linearized muffin-tin orbital method (FP-LMTO) within density functional theory. Local density approximation (LDA) for exchange-correlation potential and local spin density approximation (LSDA) are employed. The structural parameters as lattice parameters a₀, bulk modulus B, its pressure derivate B’ and cut-off energy (E_c) within LDA and LSDA are presented. The elastic constants were derived from the stress–strain relation at 0 K. The thermodynamic properties for LuX using the quasi-harmonic Debye model are studied. The temperature and pressure variation of volume, bulk modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacities, Debye temperature and Gibbs free energy at different pressures (0–50 GPa) and temperatures (0–1600 K) are predicted. The calculated results are in accordance with other data.     

Electric field gradients at V,Nb and Ta in A15 alloys

The efg at V, Nb and Ta in all existing binary alloys with A15 structure has been calculated with the FLAPW technique. It is generally a result of counteracting p- and d-contributions from the conduction band, with a significant effect also of semicore states. For virtually all V and Nb compounds where experimental data are available, these are well reproduced, with the exception of Nb₃Sb. A critical test would be a measurement of the quadrupole interaction in the Ta alloys. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Mechanical properties,anisotropy and hardness of group IVA ternary spinel nitrides

In this work, new ternary cubic spinel structures are designed by the substitutional method. The structures, elasticity properties, intrinsic hardness and Debye temperature of the cubic ternary spinel nitrides are studied by first principles based on the density-functional theory. The results show that γ-CSn₂N₄, γ-SiC₂N₄, γ-GeC₂N₄ and γ-SnC₂N₄ are not mechanically stable. The elastic constants C_ij of these cubic spinel structures are obtained using the stress–strain method. Derived elastic constants, such as bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson coefficient and brittle/ductile behaviour are estimated using Voigt–Reuss–Hill theories. The B/G value, the Poisson's ratio and anisotropic factor are calculated for eight ternary stable crystals. Based on the microscopic hardness model, we further estimate the Vickers hardness of all the stable crystals. From the calculated hardness of the stable group IVA ternary spinel nitrides by Gao's and Jiang's methods, it is observed that the stable group IVA ternary spinel nitrides are not superhard materials except for γ-CSi₂N₄. Furthermore, the Debye temperature for the eight stable crystals is also estimated.     

Theoretical study on the phase stability,elasticity, hardness and electronic structures of Ni–P compounds

A systematic investigation concerned with phase stability, elastic properties, hardness and relevant electronic structure of Ni–P compounds (Ni₃P, Ni₁₂P₅, Ni₂P, Ni₅P₄, NiP, NiP₂ and NiP₃) was carried out using first principles calculations. The calculated results show that the Ni–P compounds have strong hardness, ranging from 7.80–14.54 GPa. Also, the hardness values gradually increase with the P content. Electronic structure analysis shows that the strong Ni–P and part of P–P hybrid orbitals play important roles in the hardness of these compounds. The calculated elastic constants indicated that the Ni₃P, Ni₁₂P₅ and NiP₂ phases are significantly anisotropic, the NiP and Ni₂P exhibit some anisotropy, while the Ni₅P₄ and NiP₃ show a relatively isotropic character. At last, the properties of these Ni–P compounds including lattice constants, thermodynamic stability, elastic constants C_ij, bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, Young's modulus E and Poisson's ratio ν have been calculated.     

高温高压下Zr2AlC的结构及热学性质的第一性原理

利用密度泛函理论研究了高温高压下Zr₂AlC的结构和热力学性质,计算得到Zr₂AlC的晶格参数与实验值符合较好．研究了Zr₂AlC的弹性常数、体模量、剪切模量和杨氏模量等力学性质随压力变化的趋势．同时研究了维氏硬度随压力的变化趋势．通过计算得到的杨氏模量预测了Zr₂AlC的弹性各向异性．最后,基于准简谐德拜模型,成功预测了Zr₂AlC的德拜温度、热容、热膨胀系数和Grüneisen参数随着压强和温度的变化关系.     

All-electron study of ultra-incompressible superhard material ReB2: structural and electronic properties

This paper investigates the structural and electronic properties of rhenium diboride by first-principles calculation based on density functional theory. The obtained results show that the calculated equilibrium structural parameters of ReB2 are in excellent agreement with experimental values. The calculated bulk modulus is 361 GPa in comparison with that of the experiment. The compressibility of ReB2 is lower than that of well-known OsB2. The anisotropy of the bulk modulus is confirmed by c/a ratio as a function of pressure curve and the bulk modulus along different axes along with the electron density distribution. The high bulk modulus is attributed to the strong covalent bond between Re-d and B-p orbitals and the wider pseudogap near the Fermi level, which could be deduced from both electron charge density distribution and density of states. The band structure and density of states of ReB2 exhibit that this material presents metallic behavior. The good metallicity and ultra-incompressibility of ReB2 might suggest its potential application as pressure-proof conductors.     

Internal stresses in cold-deformed Cu–Ag and Cu–Nb wires

The co-deformation of Cu–Ag or Cu–Nb composite wires used for high-field magnets has a number of important microstructural consequences, including the production of very-fine-scale structures, the development of very high internal surface-area-to-volume ratios during the drawing, and the storage of defects at interphase interfaces. In addition, the fabrication and co-deformation of the Cu and Ag or Nb, which differ in crystal structure, thermal expansion, elastic modulus and lattice parameter, lead to the development of short-wavelength internal stresses in both composites. In this paper, these internal stresses are characterized by neutron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy as a function of the imposed drawing strain. The internal stresses lead to important changes in the elastic–plastic response, which is related to both magnet design and service life. The second derivative ?² σ/?² ε of the stresses with respect to strain is used to describe the low-strain anelasticity of the composites. The internal stresses in Cu–Nb are higher than in Cu–Ag and, consequently, the absolute values of (?² σ/?² ε)_Cu–Nb are higher than those of (?² σ/?² ε)_Cu–Ag at low strains.     

Pressure effects on structural,elastic and electronic properties of BaZnO2: first-principles study

The structural, elastic and electronic properties of BaZnO₂ under pressure are investigated by the plane wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT). The calculated lattice parameters and unit cell volume of BaZnO₂ at the ground state are in good agreement with the available experimental data and other theoretical data. The pressure dependences of elastic constants C_ij, bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, B/G, Poisson’ s ratio σ, Debye temperature Θ and aggregate acoustic velocities V_P and V_S are systematically investigated. It is shown that BaZnO₂ maintains ductile properties under the applied pressures. Analysis for the calculated elastic constants has been made to reveal the mechanical stability and mechanical anisotropy of BaZnO₂. At the ground state, the calculated compressional and shear wave velocities are 8.26 km/s and 1.81 km/s, respectively, and the Debye temperature Θ is 240.8 K. The pressure dependences of the density of states and the bonding property of BaZnO₂ are also investigated.     

First-principles study on electronic structure and elastic properties of Ti2SC

We have performed first-principles study on electronic structure and elastic properties of Ti₂SC. The absence of band gap at the Fermi level and the finite value of the density of states at the Fermi energy reveal the metallic behavior of this compound. The five independent elastic constants were derived and the bulk modulus, Young's modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio were determined. The high bulk modulus and hardness was found to be originated from the strong Ti 3d-S 2p hybridization. Such strong MA bonding is unusual in the MAX phases studied so far. Ti₂SC is elastically stable and exhibits highly elastic isotropy.     

An ab initio study of niobium (n = 2--11) clusters: structure, stability and magnetism

The ground-state configurations of the Nbn (n = 2-11) clusters are studied through the first-principles calculations. It is found that niobium clusters (n = 2-11) tend to form compact structures with low symmetry. The clusters with 4, 8 and 10 atoms are found to be magic and have relatively large highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gaps. The Nbn clusters possess low magnetic moments, which exhibit an odd-even oscillational character. The analyses of calculated electronic density and population of the lowest-energy niobium clusters for n = 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 show that the total magnetic moments of Nbn originate mainly from a few Nb atoms with longer spacings between them in most cases, while they are located on two Nb atoms for n = 2, 3, 5. The total magnetic moments come mainly from the 4d local moments but with the exception of the Nb5 cluster.