Investigation of structural stability and electronic properties of group III nitrides: a first principles study

The high-pressure structural phase transition, electronic, superconducting and elastic properties of group III nitrides (ScN, YN and LaN) are investigated by first principles calculation with the density functional theory. The calculated lattice parameters are in good agreement with the experimental and other theoretical values. Electronic structure reveals that these materials are semiconductors with an indirect band gap of 1.4, 0.87 and 0.65?eV for ScN, YN and LaN, respectively. The obtained cubic NaCl structure is energetically the most stable structure at ambient pressure. A pressure-induced structural phase transition from NaCl to CsCl structure is predicted. The structural phase transition of ScN, YN and LaN occurs at a pressure of 158, 132 and 26.5?GPa, respectively. On further increase in the pressure, semiconductor-to-metallic transition and superconductivity is observed in these nitrides. The estimated T _c values as a function of pressure for ScN, YN and LaN are 31.79, 15.50 and 12.84?K, respectively.     

A high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis of platinum carbide

High-pressure synthesis is a powerful method for the preparation of novel materials with high elastic moduli and hardness. Additionally, such materials may exhibit interesting thermal, optoelectronic, semiconducting, magnetic, or superconducting properties. We report on the new high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis of platinum carbide. The experiments were performed in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell and data were collected using the synchrotron X-ray diffraction method at pressures >75 GPa at high-temperatures. The new platinum carbide has a rock-salt type structure, with space group Fm3m and cubic symmetry. It was confirmed to remain stable to at least 120 GPa. This structure is the same as that of other metal carbides reported in previous studies. After decompression, the new high-pressure phase was recoverable at ambient pressure. The Birch-Murnaghan equation of state for this new phase was determined from the experimental unit cell parameters, with K₀=301 (±15) GPa, and K′₀=5.2 (±0.4).     

Structural, elastic and electronic properties of transition metal carbides TMC (TM=Ti, Zr, Hf and Ta) from first-principles calculations

The structural, elastic and electronic properties of TiC, ZrC, HfC and TaC have been investigated by first-principles calculations using the plane-wave pseudopotential method. Different exchange-correlation functionals regarding the local density approximation and the PBE, RPBE and PW91 forms of generalized gradient approximation are taken into account. The NaCl-type cubic structures of TMC (TM=Ti, Zr, Hf and Ta) are optimized and confirmed to be mechanically stable. The elastic properties such as the elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of TMC are investigated, and the performances of LDA and GGA are discussed. The electronic density of state, electron charge density and Mulliken population analysis have been explored to discuss the electronic properties and bonding behaviors of TMC. The present calculation results compare satisfactorily with the experimental data and previous theoretical calculations.     

Theoretical study of B2 type technetium AB (A=Tc,B=Ti,V, Nb and Ta) intermetallic compounds

The structural, electronic, elastic and thermal properties of the cubic AB type (A=Tc, B=Ti, V, Nb and Ta) technetium intermetallic compounds have been studied using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local density approximation (LDA) used for the exchange-correlation potential. The calculated lattice parameters agree well with the experimental results. The calculated electronic properties reveal that these compounds are metallic in nature with partial ionic bonding. The elastic constants obey the stability criteria for cubic system. Ductility for these compounds has been analyzed using the Pugh's rule and Cauchy's pressure revealing ductile in nature of all the compounds. Bonding nature is discussed using Fermi surface, band structure and charge density difference plots.     

高温高压下钼的结构稳定性研究

以钼为代表的一系列过渡金属,在高温高压的相变及结构稳定性研究是实验和理论研究的热点.钼在常温常压下是bcc结构,但是在高温高压下可能的相结构一直未能确定.本文首先预测了几种高压下的结构,并计算了其自由能及力学性质.针对可能的hcp结构,我们通过新近发展的自洽晶格动力学方法,充分考虑声子间相互作用,成功获得了hcp结构高温高压声子色散曲线,结果表明hcp相在热力学及动力学上都是能够稳定存在的结构,是一种可能的高压相.     

Glasslike elastic properties in the ω-β alloys

We have measured the internal friction and speed of sound in several polycrystalline alloys, using compound torsional oscillators at frequencies between 60 kHz and 100 kHz and temperatures between 50 mK and 100 K. By combining these data with existing elastic and thermal data on similar alloys, we find that those alloys which can undergo diffusionsless phase transitions, such as Ti:Nb, Ti:V, or Zr:Nb in certain ranges of composition have glasslike excitations, since they have elastic properties which agree in magnitude and temperature dependence with those of amorphous solids. By contrast. crystalline continuous solution alloys, such as Nb:Ta, or alloys with diffusive phase transitions, such as high-pressure quenched Al₉₄Si₆, have the same elastic properties as are known for crystals.     

外压下VN相变和力学性质的第一性原理研究

运用基于赝势平面波基组的密度泛函程序VASP并结合Quantum ESPRESSO,Phonopy软件包对压力下VN的结构、力学性质、声子色散关系进行了第一性原理的研究.分别对NaCl型（B1）,CsCl型（B2）,WC型（Bh）三种构型的VN进行了计算,三种结构的体积能量曲线、焓压关系和声子谱表明在常压下六角WC结构与立方结构相比更稳定.随着压力增加VN由Bh结构到B1结构的相变点发生在30GPa左右,而B1结构到B2结构的相变点可能发生在150GPa左右.常压下三种结构的VN是力学稳定的,其弹性常数和弹性模量都有随压强的增大而增加的趋势,三者都是脆性材料.B1结构和B2结构坐标基矢方向上的杨氏模量数值与体对角线方向上的差距较大,体现出明显的各向异性.随压力的增加B1结构各向异性程度增大而B2结构各向异性程度减小     

Pressure-induced structural phase transition in RbAu

Using the first principle method based on density functional theory, the structural and elastic properties calculations of RbAu have been performed. The results demonstrate that RbAu is stable in the CsCl structure (B2) at ambient pressure, which is in well agreement with the experimental results. And there exists a structural phase transition from CsCl-type structure (B2) to NaTi-type structure (B32) at the transition pressure of approximate 6 GPa. The pressure effects on the elastic properties are discussed and the elastic property calculation indicates elastic instability maybe provide phase transition driving force according to the variations relation of the elastic constant versus pressure.     

First-principles calculations of elastic,phonon and thermodynamic properties of W

We investigate the elastic properties, lattice dynamical, thermal equation of state and thermodynamic properties of bcc phase W under high pressure using density functional theory. The calculated high-pressure elastic constants of bcc phase W agree well with experimental and theoretical data. Under compression, the phonon dispersion curves of bcc phase W do not show any anomaly or instability. Our calculated zero-pressure phonon dispersion curves are in excellent agreement with experiments. Within the quasiharmonic approximation, we predict the thermal equation of state and other properties including the thermal expansion coefficient, adiabatic bulk modulus, specific heat at constant volume and entropy.     

Structural, elastic, phonon and electronic properties of a MnPd alloy

The structural, elastic, phonon and electronic properties of a MnPd alloy have been investigated using the first-principles calculation. The calculated lattice constants and electronic structure agree well with the experimental results. The microscopic mechanism of the diffusionless martensitic transition from the paramagnetic B2 (PM-B2) phase to the antiferromagnetic L10 (AFM-L10) phase through the intermediate paramagnetic L10 (PM-L10 ) phase has been explored theoretically. The obtained negative shear modulus C′= (C11-C12)/2 of the PM-B2 phase is closely related to the instability of the cubic B2 phase with respect to the tetragonal distortions. The calculated phonon dispersions for the PM-L10 and AFM-L10 phases indicate that they are dynamically stable. However, the AFM-L10 phase is energetically most favorable according to the calculated total energy order, so the PM-L10 →AFM-L10 transition is caused by the magnetism rather than the electron-phonon interaction. Additionally, the AFM-L10 state is stabilized through the formation of a pseudo gap located at the Fermi level. The calculated results show that the CuAu-I type structure in the collinear antiferromagnetic state is dynamically and mechanically stable, thus is the low temperature phase.     

Dynamical stability and phase transition of ZrC under pressure

A comprehensive first principles study of structural, elastic, electronic, and phonon properties of zirconium carbide (ZrC) is reported within the density functional theory scheme. The aim is to primarily focus on the vibrational properties of this transition metal carbide to understand the mechanism of phase transition. The ground state properties such as lattice constant, elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, electronic band structure, and phonon dispersion curves (PDC) of ZrC in rock-salt (RS) and high-pressure CsCl structures are determined. The pressure-dependent PDCs are also reported in NaCl phase. The phonon modes become softer and finally attain imaginary frequency with the increase of pressure. The lattice degree of freedom is used to explain the phase transition. Static calculations predict the RS to CsCl phase transition to occur at 308?GPa at 0?K. Dynamical calculations lower this pressure by about 40?GPa. The phonon density of states, electron–phonon interaction coefficient, and Eliashberg's function are also presented. The calculated electron–phonon coupling constant λ and superconducting transition temperature agree reasonably well with the available experimental data.     

Ab initio study of structural,elastic, and high-pressure properties of rubidium halides RbX (X = F,Cl, Br and I)

We present first-principle calculations on the structural, elastic, and high-pressure properties of rubidium halides compounds, using the pseudo-potential plane-waves approach based on density functional theory, within the generalized gradient approximation. Results are given for lattice constant, bulk modulus and its pressure derivative. The pressure transition at which these compounds undergo structural phase transition from NaCl-type to CsCl-type structure are calculated and compared with previous calculations and available experimental data. The elastic constants and their pressure dependence 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 RbF, RbCl, RbBr, and RbI aggregates. We estimated the Debye temperature of these compounds from the average sound velocity.     

Lattice dynamics and statistical mechanics of the Fm3m → I4/m structural phase transition in Rb2KInF6

The static and dynamic properties of cubic Rb₂KInF₆ crystals with elpasolite structure are calculated using a nonempirical method. Calculations are performed within a microscopic ionic-crystal model taking into account the deformation and polarization of ions. The deformation parameters of ions are determined by minimizing the total energy of the crystal. The calculated equilibrium lattice parameters agree satisfactorily with the experimental data. It is found that in the cubic phase there are vibrational modes that are unstable everywhere in the Brillouin zone. The eigenvectors of the unstablest mode at the center of the Brillouin zone of the cubic phase are associated with the displacements of F ions and correspond to rotations of InF₆ octahedra. Condensation of this mode leads to a tetragonal distortion of the structure. In order to describe the Fm3m → I4/m phase transition, an effective Hamiltonian is constructed under the assumption that the soft mode whose eigenvector corresponds to octahedron rotation is local and coupled with homogeneous elastic strains. The parameters of the effective Hamiltonian are determined using the calculated crystal energy for the distorted structures due to soft-mode condensation. The thermodynamic properties of the system with this model Hamiltonian are investigated using the Monte Carlo method. The phase transition temperature is calculated to be 550 K, which is twice its experimental value (283 K). The tetragonal phase remains stable down to T=0 K; the effective Hamiltonian used in this paper thus fails to describe the second phase transition (to the monoclinic phase). Thus, the transition to the tetragonal phase occurs for the most part through octahedron rotations; however, additional degrees of freedom, first of all, the displacements of Rb ions, should be included into the effective Hamiltonian in order to describe the transition to the monoclinic phase.     

Phase stability,electronic, magnetic and elastic properties of Ni2CoZ(Z = Ga,Sn): A first principles study with GGA method and GGA+U approach

First principles calculations based on density functional theory are used to investigate the phase stability, electronic, magnetic and elastic properties of ferromagnetic metallic full-Heusler Ni₂CoZ(Z = Ga, Sn) alloys via the FP-LAPW method by the generalized gradient GGA and GGA+U approximations for the exchange and correlation energy, within the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE 96) parameterization. The results of calculating electronic structures and magnetic properties reveal that the both Ni₂CoGa and Ni₂CoSn crystallize in L2₁ phase with regular cubic structure. The two investigated compounds exhibit metallic ferromagnetic behaviors for the GGA+U calculation. The computation of elastic constants with GGA+U approach shows that our compounds are mechanically stable.     

Thermodynamics and elastic properties of Ta from first-principles calculations

<正>Within the framework of the quasiharmonic approximation,the thermodynamics and elastic properties of Ta, including phonon density of states(DOS),equation of state,linear thermal expansion coefficient,entropy,enthalpy, heat capacity,elastic constants,bulk modulus,shear modulus,Young’s modulus,microhardness,and sound velocity, are studied using the first-principles projector-augmented wave method.The vibrational contribution to Helmholtz free energy is evaluated from the first-principles phonon DOS and the Debye model.The thermal electronic contribution to Helmholtz free energy is estimated from the integration over the electronic DOS.By comparing the experimental results with the calculation results from the first-principles and the Debye model,it is found that the thermodynamic properties of Ta are depicted well by the first-principles.The elastic properties of Ta from the first-principles are consistent with the available experimental data.     

THE INFLUENCE OF COMPRESSIVE STRESS ON THE FORMATION OF CUBIC BORON NITRIDE THIN FILM

The elastic strain energy and Gibbs free energy of cubic BN (cBN) thin film in biaxial stress field are calculated. The results show that the stress in cBN thin films has an impact on the formation of cubic phase. It is concluded that the high compressive stress in the cBN thin films is not the cause of cBN formation. This conclusion is different from that predicted by compressive stress model; however, it could well account for the experimental results. At a given substrate temperature, there is a compressive stress threshold, below which cBN phase is thermodynamically stable and above which hexagonal BN(hBN) phase is thermodynamically stable. At room temperature the compressive stress threshold is calculated to be 9.5 GPa.     

Electronic structure and bonding properties for Laves-phase RV2 (R=Ti, Nb, Hf, and Ta) compounds

The electronic structure and bonding properties of Laves-phase compounds RV₂ (R=Ti, Nb, Hf, and Ta) with C15 structure have been investigated using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. The results show that the chemical bonding is metallic–ionic–covalent in nature in these compounds, and the covalent bonding between V and V atoms strengthens with the atomic number, increasing among the RV₂ (R=Ti, Nb, Hf, and Ta) compounds. The density of states (DOS), equilibrium volume, and elastic properties are discussed, which is important for understanding the physical properties of RV₂ (R=Ti, Nb, Hf, and Ta) and may inspire future experimental research.     

First-Principles Investigations of Pb_(0.5)Ba_(0.5)TiO_3 Alloys Based on Structure Predictions

Crystal structure predictions of Pb_(0.5)Ba_(0.5)TiO_3 alloys under different pressures are performed based on the particle swarming optimization algorithm.The predicted stable ground-state and high-pressure phases are tetragonal ferroelectric(I4mm) and cubic para-electric(Fm3m),respectively,whose structural details have not been reported.The pressure-induced colossal enhancements in piezoelectric response are associated with the mechanical and dynamical instabilities instead of polarization rotation.The band gap of the tetragonal phase is indirect and that of the cubic phase is always direct.As pressure increases,the alloy displays the similar band-gap behaviors to PbTiO_3,while different from BaTiO_3,which is attributed to the different orbital contributions to the valence bands.Our calculated results are in good agreement with the available data.     

First principles study of barium chalcogenides

In this study, ab initio calculation results of the vibrational properties and elastic parameters as well as characteristic Debye temperature and Poisson's ratios of two barium chalcogenides, BaSe and BaS, which crystallize in NaCl-type structure, were presented. Calculations were based on plane wave basis sets together with ultrasoft pseudopotentials in the framework of density functional theory (DFT) with generalized gradient approximation. Phonon dispersion spectra were obtained using the first principles linear response approach of the density functional perturbation theory (DFPT). The detailed total energy calculations were performed in order to obtain elastic constants using distortions on cubic phase. The calculated structural, elastic, and thermal parameters of BaSe and BaS systems agree well with the available experimental data and theoretical calculations.     

Thermal equation of state, and melting and thermoelastic properties of bcc tantalum from molecular dynamics

We performed molecular dynamics simulations with the extended Finnis-Sinclair (EFS) potential to investigate thermal equation of state (EOS), and melting and thermoelastic properties of tantalum. The agreement of the obtained thermal EOS with experiments at ambient conditions is reasonably good. The EFS potential with the two-phase method also reproduced very satisfyingly the high-pressure melting curve, excellently consistent with both the experiments of melting temperature at ambient pressure and shock melting at high pressure. From molecular dynamics simulations, we also obtained the thermoelastic properties of Ta for temperatures up to 3000 K at ambient pressure. Fully including anharmonic effects in molecular dynamics, our calculated elastic constants are in excellent agreement with experimental data. Shear modulus G decreases quickly with increasing temperature.