First principles study on the electronic structure and magnetism of Fe1-xCoxSi alloys

Electronic and magnetic properties of Fe1-xCoxSi alloys were investigated by using a full-potential linear augmented-plane-wave method based on density functional theory. Electronic structure calculation demonstrates that half-metallic property appears in the Fe-rich region of 0 〈 x ≤ 0.25, while the alloys turn out to be a magnetic metal for x 〉 0.25. The concentration dependence of the magnetic moment of the alloys can be understood by the fixed Fermi level at minority band in Fe-rich region, as well as at the majority band in Co-rich region. In Fe-rich alloys, the electronic structure and the magnetic properties at Fe site depend mainly on the spin-polarization of nearest neighbouring Co atoms, while in Co-rich alloys, these features at Co site arise mainly from the neighbours of Fe atoms.     

Specific features of the electronic structure and spectral properties of NdNi5 − x Cu x compounds

The spectral properties of the intermetallic compounds NdNi_{5 ? x} Cu _x (x = 0, 1, 2) have been studied using optical ellipsometry in the wavelength range 0.22–16 μm. It has been established that substitution of copper atoms for nickel leads to noticeable changes in the optical absorption spectra, plasma frequencies, and relaxation frequencies of conduction electrons. Spin-polarized calculations of the electronic structure of these compounds have been performed in the local spin density approximation allowing for strong electron correlations (LSDA + U method) in the 4f shell of the rare-earth ion. The calculated electron densities of states have been used to interpret the experimental dispersion curves of optical conductivity in the interband light absorption region.     

Positron annihilation studies on the electronic structure of Pd−Ag−H system

Angular Correlation of Annihilation Radiation (ACAR) is shown to be useful to examine the electronic structure of -phase Pd_1–y Ag _y H _x system. Hydrogen absorption by Pd_1–y Ag _y alloys results in the increase of both nearly free andd-localized electron numbers in compliance with the KKR-CPA calculation outcomes. The investigation of -phase systems, PdH _x hydrides as well as Pd_1–y Ag _y H _x materials, failed because of a high concentration of lattice defects.     

First-principles calculation of the electronic structure,chemical bonding,and thermodynamic properties of β-US_2

The electronic structure, magnetic states, chemical bonding, and thermodynamic properties of β-US2 are investigated by using first-principles calculation through the density functional theory(DFT) +U approach. The obtained band structure exhibits a direct band gap semiconductor at Γ point with a band gap of 0.9 e V for β-US2, which is in good agreement with the recent experimental data. The charge-density differences, the Bader charge analysis, and the Born effective charges suggest that the U–S bonds of the β-US2 have a mixture of covalent and ionic characters, but the ionic character is stronger than covalent character. The Raman-active, infrared-active, and silent modes at the Γ point are further assigned and discussed. The obtained optical-mode frequencies indicate that the three apparent LO–TO(longitudinal optical–transverse optical) splittings occur in B1 u, B2 u, and B3 umodes, respectively. Furthermore, the Helmholtz free energy ?F, the specific heat ?E, vibrational entropy S, and constant volume CVare studied over a range from 0 K~100 K. We expect that our work can provide some valuable information for further experimental investigation of the dielectric properties and the infrared reflectivity spectrum of uranium chalcogenide.     

First principles calculations of the structural and electronic properties of(CdSe)n clusters

The structural and electronic properties of (CdSe)n(1≤n≤5) clusters are calculated using density functional theory within the pseudopotential and generalized gradient approximations. The calculated binding energies and highest occupied molecular orbital lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gaps are compared with those obtained within local density approximation.     

First principle investigation of the structural,electronic and elastic properties of the Laves phase compounds SrX2 (X = Pd and Pt)

Structural, electronic and elastic properties of the cubic Laves phases SrX₂ (X = Pd and Pt) with Fd-3 m (No. 227) space group and crystallize in the MgCu₂ structure are studied using the all-electrons full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method as implemented in the Wien2k code. The exchange-correlation potential (E_xc) was treated within the scheme of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA). In present calculations, studied compounds show a metallic characteristic. When the palladium element was replaced with the platinum, the Fermi level was observed to be increased, indicating an increase in the additional valence electrons that filled the hybridized bonding states. The elastic constants were calculated for both compounds and show that the two compounds suitably verify the Born's mechanical stability criteria and have the ductile manner behaviors.     

Structural properties,phase stability,elastic properties and electronic structures of Cu–Ti intermetallics

The structural properties, phase stabilities, anisotropic elastic properties and electronic structures of Cu–Ti intermetallics have been systematically investigated using first principles based on the density functional theory. The calculated equilibrium structural parameters agree well with available experimental data. The ground-state convex hull of formation enthalpies as a function of Cu content is slightly symmetrical at CuTi with a minimal formation enthalpy (–13.861 kJ/mol of atoms), which indicates that CuTi is the most stable phase. The mechanical properties, including elastic constants, polycrystalline moduli and anisotropic indexes, were evaluated. G/B is more pertinent to hardness than to the shear modulus G due to the high power indexes of 1.137 for G/B. The mechanical anisotropy was also characterized by describing the three-dimensional (3D) surface constructions. The order of elastic anisotropy is Cu₄Ti₃ > Cu₃Ti₂ > α-Cu₄Ti > Cu₂Ti > CuTi > β-Cu₄Ti > CuTi₂. Finally, the electronic structures were discussed and Cu₂Ti is a semiconductor.     

Concentration-dependent crystal structure,elastic constants and electronic structure of Zr x Ti1−x alloys under high pressure

The physical properties of ZrxTi1-x（x=0.0, 0.33, 0.5, 0.67, 0.75 and 1.00） alloys were sinmlated by virtual crystal approximation （VCA） methods which is generally used for disordered solid solutions modeling. The elastic constant, electronic structure and thermal Equation of state （EOS） of disor- dered ZrxTi1-x alloys under pressure are investigated by plane-wave pseudo-potentia1 method. Our simulations reveal increasement of variations of the calculated equilibrium volumes and decrease- ment of Bulk modulus as a function of the alloy compositions. Lattice parameters a and c of alloys with differentZr concentrations decrease linearly with pressure increasing, but the c/avalues are increasing as pressure increases, indicating no phase transitions under pressure from 0 GPa to 100 GPa. The elastic constants and the Bulk modulus to the Shear modulus ratios （B/G） indicate good ductility of Zr, Zr0.33 Ti0.67 Zr0.5Ti0.5, Zr0.75Ti0.25 and Ti, but the Zr0.67Ti0.33 alloy is brittle under 0 K and 0 GPa. The metallic behavior of these alloys was also proved by analyzing partial and total DOS.     

First principles prediction of the elastic,electronic and optical properties of Sn3X4 (X = P,As, Sb,Bi) compounds: Potential photovoltaic absorbers

We report a first-principles study of structural, mechanical and optoelectronic properties of the Sn₃X₄ (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) compounds. The calculations were performed using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave approach (FP-LAPW). The structural and mechanical properties of Sn₃X₄ (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) compounds were obtained using GGA-PBE. In addition, The Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential (TB-mBJGGA) technique was used to calculated the optoelectronic properties. The calculated electronic band structures and density of states reveal a direct band gap at Γ points varied from 0.11 eV to 1.23 eV for X = P, As, Sb, Bi. The optical absorption calculations show that all compounds have high absorption coefficients about twenty times greater than that of CuInSe₂ and CdTe in the visible region. The high absorption of these materials could be attributed to the localized p-states of cation (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) in the lower region of the conduction band.     

Effect of Ni deficit on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of PrNi2−xSb2

The influence of a Ni deficit in the nickel sublattice on the electronic and magnetic properties of PrNi_2−xSb₂ compound is investigated. The band structure is calculated using the LMTO method for x=0, 0.50, 1.0 and 1.5. At T=0 K the compound is antiferromagnetic with a magnetic moment on Pr close to 2.0 μ_B.     

Electronic structure,elastic and thermodynamic properties of α-phase Na3N under pressure from first principles

The structural, electronic, elastic and thermodynamic properties of α-phase Na₃N under pressure are investigated by performing first principles calculations within generalized gradient approximation. The elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio dependencies on pressure are also calculated. The thermodynamic properties of the α-phase Na₃N are calculated using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The dependencies of the heat capacity and the thermal expansion coefficient, as well as the Grüneisen parameter on pressure and temperature are investigated systematically in the ranges of 0–1 GPa and 0–100 K.     

First principles studies on the electronic structures of LiMxFe1-xPO4 （M = Co, Ni and Rh）

The local crystal structures and electronic structures of LiMxFe1-xPO4 （M = Co, Ni, Rh） are studied through first-principles calculations. The lattice constants and unit cell volumes are smaller for the Co and Ni doped materials than for pure LiFePO4, while larger than for the Rh doped material. The local structures around M atoms in the doped materials are studied in details. The total density of states （DOS） and atomic projected DOS （PDOS） are all calculated and analysed in detail. The results give a reasonable prediction to the improvement of electronic conductivity through Fe-site doping in LiFePO4 material.     

Structural,electronic, optical and thermodynamic properties of NaxRb1−xH and NaxK1−xH alloys

A theoretical study of the structural, electronic, optical and thermodynamic properties of Na_xRb_1?xH and Na_xK_1?xH ternary alloys in NaCl phase has been carried out using the first-principles method. We modeled the alloys at some selected compositions with ordered structures described in terms of periodically repeated supercells. The dependences on the composition of the lattice constant, band gap, dielectric constant, refractive index, Debye temperature, mixing entropy and heat capacities were analyzed for x=0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1. The lattice constants of Na_xRb_1?xH and Na_xK_1?xH exhibit a marginal deviation from Vegard's law. A strong deviation of the bulk modulus from linear concentration dependence was observed for both alloys. We found that the composition dependence of the energy band gap is highly non linear and the large bowing coefficient for Na_xRb_1?xH is sensitive to the composition. Using the approach of Zunger and co-workers, the microscopic origins of the gap bowing were detailed and explained. The thermodynamic stability of these alloys was investigated by calculating the phase diagram. The thermal effect on some macroscopic properties was investigated using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. There is a good agreement between our results and the available experimental data for the binary compounds, which is a support for those of the ternary alloys that we report for the first time.     

First-principles studies of the structural,electronic and optical properties of Zn1−xCdxS and ZnS1−ySey alloys

Using the density functional theory calculations, we studied the structural, electronic and optical properties of zincblende Zn_1?xCd_xS and ZnS_1?ySe_y alloys. Calculated structures and band gaps of these alloys are in good agreement with available experimental and other theoretical values. Present results show that the prominent peaks of the dielectric functions and absorption coefficients have a slight red shift and the amplitudes become larger with the increasing concentration of Cd and Se. Moreover, present findings predict that Zn_1?xCd_xS and ZnS_1?ySe_y alloys are promising for solar cells and photoconductor and electroluminescent devices due to their high absorption of solar radiations and photoconductivity in the energy region from visible light to ultraviolet.     

An examination of the structural,electronic, elastic,vibrational and thermodynamic properties of Ru2YGa (Y = Sc,Ti and V) Heusler alloys

The structural, electronic, elastic, vibrational and thermodynamic properties of the Ru₂YGa (Y = Sc, Ti and V) Heusler alloys in L2₁ type cubic structure have been analyzed systematically using first principles density functional theory (DFT) together with the Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA) method. The values of calculated lattice constant (a₀), elastic constants (Cij), Bulk modulus (B), Shear modulus (G), ratios of B/G, Young's modulus (E) and Poisson ratio (ν) are in good agreement with the available theoretical and experimental results. The electronic band structures, corresponding total and partial density of states have also been obtained. The calculated band structures demonstrate that Ru2YGa (Y = Sc, Ti and V) alloys are metallic. The phonon dispersion curves, total and partial density of states of these alloys have been computed for the first time by adopting the direct method. It is considered that all alloys are dynamically stable in L2₁ structure.     

First principles calculations of the structural,electronic and optical properties of the mixed fluorides SrxCd1−xF2

In the present work, we have investigated the structural, electronic and optical properties of SrF₂ and CdF₂ and their ternary mixed Sr_xCd_1?xF₂ alloys at some selected concentrations x (x?=?0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1). The parent compounds SrF₂ and CdF₂ crystallize in Fm-3?m space group, whereas the alloys adopt the cubic structure with Pm-3?m space group for the composition x?=?0.25 and 0.75 and the tetragonal structure with space group P4/mmm for x?=?0.50. The calculations were performed using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. The exchange-correlation potential was handled with Wu and Cohen GGA approximation (WC-GGA). Moreover, the Engel–Vosko's (EV-GGA) formalism and the modified Becke Johnson (mBJ) approximation were also applied to improve the electronic band structure calculations. The computed structural parameters for SrF₂ and CdF₂ such as the equilibrium lattice constants and the bulk moduli are in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical data. It is found that the lattice parameters increase with increasing composition (x) while the bulk modulus decreases for Sr_xCd_1?xF₂ alloys. The calculated band structures reveal an indirect band gap (W-Γ), (X-Γ) and (M-Γ) for CdF₂, SrF_{2 and} Sr_xCd_1?xF₂ for x?=?0.25, 0.75 and x?=?0.5, respectively. The optical constants, including the dielectric function, refractive index, reflectivity, absorption, extinction coefficient and the energy loss function were calculated using both WC-GGA and mBJ schemes for a radiation up to 40?eV. This is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the optical properties for these alloys that requires experimental confirmation.     

Pressure effect on the structural,electronic and optical properties of the cubic triangular quaternary BNxAsyP1−x−y alloys: First principle study

Predicted results of the structural, electronic and optical properties of the cubic zinc-blende phase of BN, BAs and BP binary compounds and their related ternary and quaternary alloys are presented. The density functional theory (DFT) within full potential linearized augmented plan wave (FP-LAPW) is employed. Different exchange correlation approximations were used to calculate the structural properties as well as the total energies, lattice parameters, bulk modulus and its first pressure derivative. The electronic band structures were treated with the local density approach and Tran Blaha modified Beck-Johnson (TB-mBJ) approximation. A quadratic fit of the lattice parameter, bulk modulus and band gap was performed, where a nonlinear variation with the composition x and y is found. Moreover, the optical properties have been investigated, where the dielectric behavior, the refractive index variations and the loss energy were studied. Furthermore, the electronic and optical properties were computed under hydrostatic pressure. Our results showed great agreement with the previous available experimental and theoretical data found in the literature.     

Magnetic,electronic and electron spin resonance studies of the (Gd1−xYx)Ni2 compounds

Magnetization, electron spin resonance and heat capacity measurements have been made on the (Gd_1-xYx)Ni₂ compounds. Magnetization measurements reveal a moment deficiency for gadolinium in this series. In GdNi₂ a value of 6.92μ_B is obtained for the gadolinium moment, which decreases further with yttrium substitution. In the concentration range 0.2 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.8 the samples show features seen in inhomogeneous ferromagnets.The ESR measurements reveal a negative g-shift and a very shallow ESR bottleneck in this system.The specific heat of the samples in the concentration range 0.2 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.8 show complex behaviour: downturn at low temperatures in the usual (C/T) against T² graphs, anomalously large γ-values and so on. In the remaining compounds the specific heat shows normal behaviour. At the YNi₂ end of the series a rapid increase in the host density of state takes place when gadolinium is substituted for yttrium.