First-principles calculations of structural,electronic, and thermodynamic properties of ZnO_(1-x)S_x alloys

In this study the pseudo-potential method is used to investigate the structural, electronic, and thermodynamic proper- ties of ZnOl_xSx semiconductor materials. The results show that the electronic properties are found to be improved when calculated by using LDA ~ U functional as compared with local density approximation （LDA）. At various concentrations the ground-state properties are determined for bulk materials ZnO, ZnS, and their tertiary alloys in cubic zinc-blende phase. From the results, a minor difference is observed between the lattice parameters from Vegard＇s law and other calculated results, which may be due to the large mismatch between lattice parameters of binary compounds ZnO and ZnS. A small deviation in the bulk modulus from linear concentration dependence is also observed for each of these alloys. The ther- modynamic properties, including the phonon contribution to Helmholtz free energy △F, phonon contribution to internal energy △E, and specific iheat at constant-volume Cv, are calculated within quasi-harmonic approximation based on the calculated phonon dispersion relations.     

Structural,electronic, and optical properties of ZnO_(1-x)Se_x alloys using first-principles calculations

The structural, electronic, and optical properties of binary ZnO, ZnSe compounds, and their ternary ZnO 1-x Se x alloys are computed using the accurate full potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW + lo) method in the rocksalt (B1) and zincblende (B3) crystallographic phases. The electronic band structures, fundamental energy band gaps, and densities of states for ZnO 1-x Se x are evaluated in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 using Wu-Cohen (WC) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange-correlation potential. Our calculated results of lattice parameters and bulk modulus reveal a nonlinear variation for pseudo-binary and their ternary alloys in both phases and show a considerable deviation from Vegard's law. It is observed that the predicted lattice parameter and bulk modulus are in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical data. We establish that the composition dependence of band gap is semi-metallic in B1 phase, while a direct band gap is observed in B3 phase. The calculated density of states is described by taking into account the contribution of Zn 3d, O2p, and Se 4s, and the optical properties are studied in terms of dielectric functions, refractive index, reflectivity, and energy loss function for the B3 phase and are compared with the available experimental data.     

Theoretical calculations of structural,electronic, and elastic properties of CdSe_(1-x)Te_x:A first principles study

The plane wave pseudo-potential method was used to investigate the structural, electronic, and elastic properties of Cd Se_(1-x)Te_x in the zinc blende phase. It is observed that the electronic properties are improved considerably by using LDA + U as compared to the LDA approach. The calculated lattice constants and bulk moduli are also comparable to the experimental results. The cohesive energies for pure Cd Se and Cd Te binary and their mixed alloys are calculated. The second-order elastic constants are also calculated by the Lagrangian theory of elasticity. The elastic properties show that the studied material has a ductile nature.     

Structural, electronic and vibrational properties of indium oxide clusters

Geometric, electronic and vibrational properties of the most stable and energetically favourable configurations of indium oxide clusters In_mO_n (1≤m, n≤4) are investigated using density functional theory. The lowest energy geometries prefer the planar arrangement of the constituent atoms with a trend to maximize the number of ionic In-O bonds. Due to the charge transfer from In to O atoms, the electrostatic repulsion occurs between the atoms with the same kind of charge. The minimization of electrostatic repulsion and the maximization of In-O bond number compete between each other and determine the location of the isometric total energy. The most stable linear In-O-In-O structure of In₂O₂ cluster is attributed to the reduced electrostatic repulsive energy at the expense of In-O bond number, while the lowest energy rhombus-like structure of In₂O₃ cluster reflects the maximized number of In-O bonds. Furthermore, the vibrational frequencies of the lowest energy clusters are calculated and compared with the available experimental results. The energy gap and the charge density distribution for clusters with varying oxygen/indium ratio are also discussed.     

Structural, electronic and vibrational properties of InN under high pressure

The structural, electronic and vibrational properties of InN under pressures up to 20 GPa have been investigated using the pseudo-potential plane wave method (PP-PW). The generalized-gradient approximation (GGA) in the frame of density functional theory (DFT) approach has been adopted. It is found that the transition from wurtzite (B4) to rocksalt (B1) phase occurs at a pressure of approximately 12.7 GPa. In addition, a change from a direct to an indirect band gap is observed. The mechanism of these changes is discussed. The phonon frequencies and densities of states (DOS) are derived using the linear response approach and density functional perturbation theory (DFPT). The properties of phonons are described by the harmonic approximation method. Our results show that phonons play an important role in the mechanism of phase transition and in the instability of B4 (wurtzite) just before the pressure of transition. At zero pressure our data agree well with recently reported experimental results.     

Effect of nitrogen concentration on the electronic and vibrational properties of zinc-blende InNxP1-x(x < 0.01)

Taking into account the recent advances in the epitaxial growth of single-crystal InN leading to a drastic re-evaluation of its fundamental energy band gap, we have studied the electronic properties of InN_xP_1-x (x < 0.01) ternary alloy. Using the empirical pseudopotential method under the virtual crystal approximation, combined with the Harrison bond orbital model, the band gap at Γ, X and L points, the effective masses of the Γ valley and the electronic charge densities are calculated as a function of nitrogen composition. The fitted expressions of the energy band gaps indicate that the bowing parameter at Γ reached a broad value for very low nitrogen incorporation ( ). Furthermore, the band gap at Γ point decreases drastically with increasing nitrogen composition up to 1%. The elastic constants and the optical phonon frequencies are also reported. Our theoretical results provide a good agreement with the available data.     

关于Zn1-xBexO电子结构和光学性质的研究

采用基于密度泛函理论和平面波赝势技术的CASTEP程序对Zn_1-xBe_xO合金电子结构和光学性质进行了计算.当0≤x≤1,其带隙从0.963 eV变化到7.293 eV.分析了晶格畸变和能带间排斥效应对带隙的影响.当Be含量x=0.125,0.25,0.375,0.5,0.625,0.75时,a/b轴压应变控制着带隙变化;当x=0.875,1时,c轴压应变控制着带隙变化.能带间的p-d排斥影响价带顶变动,Γ_1v与Γ_1c之间排斥影响导带底变动.这些能带间的排斥效应被用来分析Zn_1-xBe_xO带隙变动.另外,也分析了Zn_1-xBe_xO介电函数虚部ε₂. 关键词： 带结构 光学性质 应变 排斥     

Structural and superconducting properties of LaFeAs_(1-x)Sb_xO_(1-y)F_y

We report the antimony(Sb) doping effect in a prototype system of iron-based superconductors LaFeAsO1-yFy(y=0,0.1,0.15).X-ray powder diffraction indicates that the lattice parameters increase with Sb content within the doping limit.Rietveld structural refinements show that,with the partial substitution of Sb for As,the thickness of the Fe2As2 layers increases significantly,whereas that of the La2O2 layers shrinks simultaneously.So a negative chemical pressure is indeed "applied" to the superconducting-active Fe2As2 layers,in contrast to the effect of positive chemical pressure by the phosphorus doping.Electrical resistance and magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that,while the Sb doping hardly influences the SDW anomaly in LaFeAsO,it recovers SDW order for the optimally-doped sample of y=0.1.In the meantime,the superconducting transition temperature can be raised up to 30 K in LaFeAs1-xSbxO1-yFy with x=0.1 and y=0.15.The Sb doping effects are discussed in term of both J1-J2 model and Fermi Surface(FS) nesting scenario.     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of(110) oriented Pb(Zr_(1-x)Ti_x)O_3 thin films

A phenomenological Landau–Devonshire theory is developed to investigate the ferroelectric, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of(110) oriented Pb(Zr_(1-x)Ti_x)O_3(x = 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7) thin films. At room temperature, the tetragonal a_1 phase, the orthorhombic a_2c phase, the triclinic γ_1 phase, and the triclinic γ_2 phase are stable. The appearance of the negative polarization component P_2 in the a_2c phase and the γ_1 phase is attributed to the nonlinear coupling terms in the thermodynamic potential. The γ phase of the Pb(Zr_(1-x)Ti_x)O_3 thin films has better dielectric and piezoelectric properties than the a_2c phase and the a_1 phase. The largest dielectric and piezoelectric coefficients are obtained in the Pb(Zr_(0.5)Ti_(0.5))O_3 thin film. The piezoelectric coefficient of 110–150 pm/V is obtained in the(110) oriented Pb(Zr_(0.5)Ti_(0.5))O_3 thin film, and the Pb(Zr_(0.3)Ti_(0.7))O_3 thin film has the remnant polarization and relative dielectric constant of 50 μC/cm~2 and 100, respectively,which are in agreement with the experimental measurements reported in the literature.     

Structural, vibrational and thermodynamic properties of Mg2 FeH6 complex hydride

Mg₂FeH₆, which has one of the highest hydrogen storage capacities among Mg based 3d-transitional metal hydrides, is considered as an attractive material for hydrogen storage. Within density-functional perturbation theory (DFPT), we have investigated the structural, vibrational and thermodynamic properties of Mg₂FeH₆. The band structure calculation shows that this compound is a semiconductor with a direct X-X energy gap of 1.96 eV. The calculated phonon frequencies for the Raman-active and the infrared-active modes are assigned. The phonon dispersion curves together with the corresponding phonon density of states and longitudinal-transverse optical (LO-TO) splitting are also calculated. Findings are also presented for the temperature-dependent behaviors of some thermodynamic properties such as free energy, internal energy, entropy and heat capacity within the quasi-harmonic approximation based on the calculated phonon density of states.     

Structural, thermodynamic and electronic properties of zinc-blende AlN from first-principles calculations

Structural, thermodynamic and electronic properties of zinc-blende AlN under pressure are investigated by first-principles calculations based on the plane-wave basis set. Through the analysis of enthalpy variation of AlN in the zinc-blende (ZB) and the rock-salt (RS) structures with pressure, we find the phase transition of AlN from ZB to RS structure occurs at 6.7 GPa. By using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, we obtain the heat capacity C_V, Debye temperature Θ_D, Grüneisen parameter γ and thermal expansion coefficient α. The electronic properties including fundamental energy gaps and hydrostatic deformation potentials are investigated and the dependence of energy gaps on pressure is analysed.     

Structural,electronic, magnetic and vibrational properties of half-Heusler NaZrZ (Z = P,As, Sb) compounds

The structural, electronic, magnetic and vibrational properties of NaZrP, NaZrAs and NaZrSb half-Heusler alloys have been investigated on the basis of density functional theory and generalized gradient approximation. There are three types of structures for these compounds where type a is the most stable one. It is found that all of these materials are half-metallic ferromagnets with a magnetic moment of $2{\mu }_{\mathrm{B}}$. The half-metallic gaps are estimated to be 0.16, 0.35 and 0.55 eV for Z = P, As and Sb, respectively. The hybridization between s and $t_{2g}$ orbitals of Zr with s and p orbitals of Z leads to half-metallic ferromagnetism in these compounds. The effect of strain on the half-metallic property is also investigated, and we notice that the half-metallicity is conserved up to the lattice compressions of 54.43%, 48.29% and 47.55% for NaZrP, NaZrAs and NaZrSb, respectively. The dynamical stability of these compounds is confirmed using dispersion curves. The Curie temperatures are also estimated to be 501.29 K, 855.49 K and 1348.88 K for NaZrP, NaZrAs and NaZrSb, respectively. Therefore, it seems that NaZrZ (Z = P, As, Sb) could be suitable materials for spin-injector applications.     

Structural, electronic, vibrational, and elastic properties of SWCNTs doped with B and N: an ab initio study

A microscopic model is developed in order to analyse the effects of dissipations on single-photon transport in a coupled cavity array where one of the cavities is coupled to a three-level atom and both cavities and the three-level atom are coupled to an external environment. By employing the quasi-boson approach, the single-photon transmission and reflection amplitudes are found exactly for the Ξ-type, V-type and Λ-type three-level atoms. We focus on the dissipation properties in the case of the Λ-type system. Comparing the dissipative case with the nodissipative one, it can be found that the dissipations of the cavities and the Λ-type three-level atom significantly affect the transmission amplitude of single-photon transport. Whether the atom is in tune with the resonant frequency of the cavity or not, incomplete reflection is mostly caused by atom dissipation near the middle dip of the single-photon transport spectrum, while reduced transmission appears to be mainly controlled by cavity dissipation. Dissipations broaden the line width of the single photon transport spectrum.     

First-principles calculations of structural and electronic properties of Tl_xGa_(1-x)As alloys

The zincblende ternary alloys Tl_xGa_(1-x) As(0 x 1) are studied by numerical analysis based on the plane wave pseudopotential method within the density functional theory and the local density approximation. To model the alloys,16-atom supercells with the 2 × 2 × 2 dimensions are used and the dependency of the lattice parameter, bulk modulus,electronic structure, energy band gap, and optical bowing on the concentration x are analyzed. The results indicate that the ternary Tl_xGa_(1-x) As alloys have an average band gap bowing parameter of 4.48 eV for semiconductor alloys and 2.412 eV for semimetals. It is found that the band gap bowing strongly depends on composition and alloying a small Tl content with GaAs produces important modifications in the band structures of the alloys.     

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.     

Structural and magnetic properties of BiFe_(1-x)Cr_xO_3 synthesized samples

Chromium doping effects on the structure and the magnetic properties of bismuth ferrite BiFe1-xCrxO3 （x = 0-0.3） （BFCxO） polycrystalline samples are examined. The Perovskite-type oxide samples are synthesized by the conventional solid state reaction at a high pressure of 7 GPa and a temperature of 1273 K. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns at room temperature show that all the samples with x = 0.0-0.3 are described by the rhombohedral structure. In the meantime, it is revealed that the doping of Cr can induce noticeable lattice distortions in the doping samples, and the largest distortion is observed in the case x = 0.1. The magnetic hysteresis loops measured at room temperature exhibit week ferromagnetic behaviors of the samples and the magnetization is found to increase with the increase in Cr concentration. The temperature- dependent magnetization curves indicate antiferromagnetic features in samples. Moreover, Cr-doping tends to reduce the ordering temperature.     

Pressure-induced variation of structural,elastic, vibrational,electronic, thermodynamic properties and hardness of Ruthenium Carbides

Three of the five structures obtained from the evolutionary algorithm based structure search of Ruthenium Carbide systems in the stoichiometries RuC, Ru₂C and Ru₃C are relaxed at different pressures in the range 0–200 GPa and the pressure-induced variation of their structural, elastic, dynamical, electronic and thermodynamic properties as well as hardness is investigated in detail. No structural transition is present for these systems in this pressure range. RuC–Zinc blende is mechanically and dynamically unstable close to 100 GPa. RuC-Rhombohedral and Ru₃C-Hexagonal retain mechanical and dynamical stability up to 200 GPa. For all three systems the electronic bands and density of states spread out with pressure and the band gap increases with pressure for the semiconducting RuC–Zinc blende. From the computed IR spectrum of RuC–Zinc blende at 50 GPa it is noted that the IR frequency increases with pressure. Using a semi-empirical model for hardness it is estimated that hardness of all three systems consistently increases with pressure. The hardness of RuC–Zinc blende increases towards the superhard regime up to the limiting pressure of its mechanical stability while that of RuC-Rhombohedral becomes 30 GPa at the pressure of 150 GPa.