Electronic and magnetic properties and their response to pressure in Ni2MnB

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of Ni₂MnB upon pressure up to 20 GPa have been studied by using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The results indicate that ferromagnetic ordered Ni₂MnB in L2₁ structure is more stable than the nonmagnetic one. The magnetic moments of Ni and Mn atoms as well as the total magnetic moment of Ni₂MnB are found to decrease weakly with increasing pressure. The pressure derivative of the total magnetic moment is −3.07×10⁻³ GPa⁻¹. The equilibrium bulk modulus and its derivative from the Murnaghan equation of state (EOS) are B₀=247.7 GPa, B′=4.98.     

Pressure and volume dependence of Grüneisen parameter of solids

Using the assumption δ_T=δ_T0(V/V₀)^k and the Grüneisen parameter γ macroscopic definition expression, we obtained a relationship for the volume dependence of the Grüneisen parameter γ. We have calculated the Grüneisen parameter γ with this relationship for NaCl and ε-Fe at high pressure under study. The calculated values of γ are found to show fairly in good agreement with available experimental data.     

Structural and thermodynamic properties of Os from first-principles calculations

We investigate the structural, thermodynamic and electronic properties of Os by plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method. The obtained lattice constants, bulk modulus and cell volumes per formula unit are well consistent with the available experimental data. Especially, from our calculated bulk modulus, we conclude that Os is more compressible than diamond. Moreover, the temperature induced phase transition of Os from HCP structure to FCC structure has been obtained. It is found that the transition temperature of Os at zero pressure is 2702 K. However no transition pressure is found in our calculations. The effect of bulk modulus B as well as other thermodynamic properties of Os (including the thermal expansion α and the Grüneisen constant γ) on temperatures have also been studied. Our calculated thermal expansion α=1.510×10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ and the Grüneisen constant γ=2.227 for HCP structure at room temperature agree very well with the experimental data. The density of states for HCP structure at 0 K and FCC structure at transition temperature 2702 K are also investigated in our work.     

X-ray diffraction study of molybdenum diselenide to 35.9 GPa

In situ high-pressure angle dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies of molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) were carried out in a diamond-anvil cell to 35.9 GPa. No evidence of a phase transformation was observed in the pressure range. By fitting the pressure-volume data to the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, the bulk modulus, K_0T, was determined to be 45.7±0.3 GPa with its pressure derivative, K′_0T, being 11.6±0.1. It was found that the c-axis decreased linearly with pressure at a slope of −0.1593 when pressures were lower than 10 GPa. It showed different linear decrease with the slope of a −0.0236 at pressures higher than 10 GPa.     

Thermal equation-of-state of osmium: a synchrotron X-ray diffraction study

The pressure-volume-temperature behavior of osmium was studied at pressures and temperatures up to 15 GPa and 1273 K. In situ measurements were conducted using energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a T-cup 6-8 high pressure apparatus. A fit of room-temperature data by the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation-of-state yielded isothermal bulk modulus K₀=435(19) GPa and its pressure derivative K′₀=3.5(0.8) GPa. High-temperature data were analyzed using Birch-Murnaghan equation of state and thermal pressure approach. The temperature derivative of bulk modulus was found to be −0.061(9) GPa K⁻¹. Significant anisotropy of osmium compressibility was observed.     

Structure and high pressure behaviour of organic crystals based on aromatically substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles

The crystalline structure of a new compound containing the 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety, 4-(5-methyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2yl-)-N,N′-dimethyl-phenylamine (MODPA) was determined. It shows a monoclinic structure with space group P2₁/c and lattice parameters: a=1.02997(6), b=0.64840(4), c=1.58117(10) nm and β=99.4820(10)°. To study the intermolecular interactions in oxadiazole containing organic crystals, X-ray studies on MODPA and 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (DPO) were performed up to 5 GPa at room temperature. The Murnaghan equation of state is used to describe the compression behaviour of both substances. From these results, the bulk modulus and its pressure derivative were determined. The values obtained are: K₀=6.3 GPa and K′₀=6.8 for MODPA and K₀=7.3 GPa and K′₀=6.7 for DPO. Additionally, measurements under increasing temperature at ambient pressure were carried out to evaluate the thermal expansion coefficient: α=1.8×10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ for MODPA and α=1.9×10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ for DPO.     

Magnetic properties of CdSb doped with Ni

Magnetic properties of the group II–V semiconductor CdSb single crystals doped with Ni (2 at%) are investigated. Deviation of the zero-field-cooled susceptibility, χ_ZFC, from the field-cooled susceptibility is observed below 300 K, along with a broad maximum of χ_ZFC (T) at T_b in fields below the anisotropy field B_K∼4 kG. T_b(B) obeys the law [T_b(B)/T_b(0)]^1/2=1–B/B_K with T_b(0)∼100 K. The magnetization exhibits saturation above ∼20–30 kG, a weak temperature dependence and anisotropy of the saturation value M_s. The coercive field is much smaller then B_K and displays anisotropy inverted with respect to that of M_s. Such magnetic behavior is expected for spheroidal Ni-rich Ni_1−xSb_x nanoparticles with high aspect ratio, broad distribution of the sizes and with orientations of the major axis distributed around a preferred direction.     

Elastic and thermodynamic properties of CaB6 under pressure from first principles

The elastic and thermodynamic properties of CsCl-type structure CaB₆ under high pressure are investigated by first-principles calculations based on plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The calculated lattice parameters of CaB₆ under zero pressure and zero temperature are in good agreement with the existing experimental data and other theoretical data. The pressure dependences of the elastic constants, bulk modulus B (GPa), and its pressure derivative B′, shear modulus G, Young's modulus E, elastic Debye temperature Θ_B, Zener's anisotropy parameter A, Poisson ratios σ, and Kleinmann parameter ζ are also presented. An analysis for the calculated elastic constants has been made to reveal the mechanical stability of CaB₆ up to 100 GPa. The thermodynamic properties of the CsCl-type structure CaB₆ are predicted using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The pressure-volume-temperature (P-V-T) relationship, the variations of the heat capacity C_V, Debye temperature Θ_D, and the thermal expansion α with pressure P and temperature T, as well as the Grüneisen parameters γ are obtained systematically in the ranges of 0-100 GPa and 0-2000 K.     

Influence of B2O3 to the inhomogeneous broadening and spectroscopic properties of Er/Yb codoped fluorophosphate glasses

In a three-components fluorophosphate glass system, the introduction of H₃BO₃ brings some valuable influence to the spectroscopic and thermal properties of the glasses. With H₃BO₃ increases from 2 to 20 mol%, Ω₆, S_ed4I13/2, FWHM, T_g and fluorescence lifetime change from 3.21×10⁻²⁰ cm², 1.77×10⁻²⁰ cm², 45 nm, 480 °C and 8.8 ms to 4.66×10⁻²⁰ cm², 2.11×10⁻²⁰ cm², 50 nm, 541 °C and 7.4 ms, respectively. σ_abs, σ_emi, FWHM×τ_f×σ_emi has a maximum when H₃BO₃ is 11 mol%. T_g and T_x−T_g increases with H₃BO₃ introduction. Results showed that in fluorophosphate glasses, proper amount of B₂O₃ can be used as a modifier to suppress upconversion and improve spectroscopic properties, broadband property and crystallization stability of the glasses while keeps the fluorescence lifetime relatively high.     

Elasticity and thermodynamic properties of RuB2 under pressure

First-principles calculations of the crystal structure and the elastic properties of RuB₂ have been carried out with the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method. The calculated values are in very good agreement with experimental data as well as with some of the existing model calculations. The elastic constants c_ij, the aggregate elastic moduli (B, G, E), Poisson's ratio, and the elastic anisotropy with pressure have been investigated. Through the quasi-harmonic Debye model considering the phonon effects, the isothermal bulk modulus, the thermal expansions, Grüneisen parameters, and Debye temperatures depending on the temperature and pressure are obtained in the whole pressure range from 0 to 60 GPa and temperature range from 0 to 1100 K as well as compared to available data.     

Valence force field theory, elastic, acoustic and thermodynamic properties and a potential function of TeO2 glass

A short survey has been made on the extensive work that is being done on the pressure derivatives of the second order elastic constants (SOEC) to ascertain various properties of substances. Hence an attempt has been made to correlate the pressure derivatives to some properties of the substances. Thus some equations have been derived to correlate the Grüneisen parameter which is evaluated from Schofield's equations and Bhatia-Singh's (BS) parameters. They have been used to compute the longitudinal (γ_g^L) and transverse (γ_g^T) Grüneisen constants. γ_g^L calculated by different methods agree well with experiment. γ_g^T obtained from BS parameters gives rather higher value while Schofield's equations give results in agreement with experiment. The DeLaunay-Nath-Smith (DNS) equation has been used to derive a relation to compute γ_g^el (elastic). A method has been extended to calculate the third order elastic constants (TOEC) and it is found to give excellent values of TOECs in agreement with experiment. The absorption band position of TeO₂ has been predicted to occur at 276 cm⁻¹. The phonon dispersion curves have been calculated through BS equations for TeO₂. Several other properties of TeO₂ have been computed such as thermal Grüneisen parameter γ_g^th, its pressure derivatives (γ_g^th)′≡(dγ_g^th/dP), the pressure variation of bulk modulus C₁≡(dK_T/dP)_T and its pressure derivatives that is (dC₁/dP)_T which is in turn related to (γ_g^th)′, the heat capacity at constant volume C_V, and the second Grüneisen constant Q. In some cases we calculated these quantities by different methods and the agreement between them is good. Besides we evaluated δ_T^AG the Anderson Grüneisen parameter. Another important aspect of the present investigations is the formulation of the potential function (PF) of TeO₂ from which we calculated SOECs and these are found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. All other properties mentioned already have also been calculated through the use of the newly formulated PF and the calculated values obtained through various other equations are in good agreement with those obtained from PF. According to valence force field (VFF) all atomic forces can be resolved into bond bending β and bond stretching α forces. It is shown that TeO₂ does not satisfy Martins unity rule. Hence it is concluded that there is an effective dynamic charge on Te in TeO₂. Using the experimental elastic constants the bond bending force β and bond stretching force α and also their pressure derivatives have been evaluated. In addition the reststrauhlen optic frequency ω has been calculated. A self consistent check has been made by evaluating C₄₄ through the calculated values of α and β.     

Fluorophosphate glasses containing manganese

New fluorophosphate glasses based on MnF₂, NaPO₃ and MF_n (M=Zn²⁺, Sr²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺) have been synthesised and characterized. Large vitreous areas were observed. Samples of 4 mm in thickness have been obtained. These glasses are easy to prepare and stable in ambient air. Depending on the composition and the nature of the M cation, glass transition temperature, T_g, lies between 230 and 314 °C, crystallisation temperature, T_x is between 320 and 475 °C. These glasses are pink coloured, and infrared transmission extends up to 4.5 μm with extrinsic OH⁻ absorption band at 3200 cm⁻¹ and other bands around 2200 and 1600 cm⁻¹ that relate to PO₄ tetrahedron vibration. Other physical properties including density, microhardness, Young modulus, thermal expansion and refractive index were investigated and correlated to composition.     

High pressure behaviour of KHSO4 studied by electrical impedance spectroscopy

Measurements of the electrical conductivity were performed in KHSO₄ at pressures between 0.5 and 2.5 GPa and in the temperature range 120-350 °C by the use of the impedance spectroscopy. The temperatures of the α-β phase transition (T_Tr) and of the melting (T_m), determined from the Arrhenius plots ln(σT) vs. 1/T, increase with pressure up to 1.5 GPa having dT/dP∼+45 K/GPa. Above the pressure 1.5 GPa, the pressure dependencies of T_Tr and T_m are negative dT/dP∼−45 K/GPa. At pressures above 0.5 GPa, the reversible decomposition of KHSO₄ into K₃H(SO₄)₂+H₂SO₄ (and probably into K₅H₃(SO₄)₄+H₂SO₄) affects the electrical conductivity of KHSO₄, with the typical values of the protonic electrical conductivity, c. 10⁻¹ S/cm at 2.5 GPa.     

Compression behavior of nanocrystalline anatase TiO2

We present a synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of pressure-induced changes in nanocrystalline anatase (with a crystallite size of 30-40 nm) to 35 GPa. The nanoanatase was observed to a pressure above 20 GPa. Direct transformation to the baddeleyite-TiO₂ polymorph was seen at 18 GPa. A fit of the pressure versus volume data to a Birch-Murnaghan equation yielded the following parameters: zero-pressure volume, V₀=136.15 Å³, bulk modulus, K_T=243(3) GPa, and the pressure derivative of bulk modulus, K′=4 (fixed). The bulk modulus value obtained for the nanocrystalline anatase is about 35% larger than that of the macrocrystalline counterpart.     

Magnetic-field-driven quantum critical behavior in graphite and bismuth

We study magnetotransport properties of graphite and rhombohedral bismuth samples and found that in both materials applied magnetic field induces the metal-insulator- (MIT) and reentrant insulator-metal-type (IMT) transformations. The corresponding transition boundaries plotted on the magnetic field-temperature (B − T) plane nearly coincide for these semimetals and can be best described by power laws T ∼ (B − B_c)^κ, where B_c is a critical field at T = 0 and κ = 0.45 ± 0.05. We show that insulator-metal-insulator (I-M-I) transformations take place in the Landau level quantization regime and illustrate how the IMT in quasi-3D graphite transforms into a cascade of I-M-I transitions, related to the quantum Hall effect in quasi-2D graphite samples. We discuss the possible coupling of superconducting and excitonic correlations with the observed phenomena, as well as signatures of quantum phase transitions associated with the M-I and I-M transformations.     

High-resolution FTIR measurement of the ν4 band of methylene fluoride-d2

A high-resolution (0.002 cm⁻¹) infrared absorption spectrum of methylene fluoride-d₂ (CD₂F₂) of the lowest fundamental mode ν₄ in the region from 460 to 610 cm⁻¹ has been measured on a Bruker IFS 120-HR Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. More than 3500 transitions have been assigned in this B-type band centered at 521.9 cm⁻¹. The data have been combined with upper state pure rotational measurements in a weighted least-squares fit to obtain molecular constants for the upper state resulting in an overall standard deviation of 0.00018 cm⁻¹. Accurate value for the band origin (521.9578036 cm⁻¹) has been obtained and inclusion of transitions with very high J (?60) and K_a (?34) values has resulted in improved precision for sextic centrifugal distortion constants, in particular D_K, H_KJ, and H_K.     

Thermodynamic properties of OsB under high temperature and high pressure

The energy-volume curves of OsB have been obtained using the first-principles plane-wave ultrasoft-pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local density approximation (LDA). Using the quasi-harmonic Debye model we first analyze the specific heat, the coefficients of thermal expansion as well as the thermodynamic Grüneisen parameter of OsB in a wide temperature range at high pressure. At temperature 300 K, the coefficients of thermal expansion α_V by LDA and GGA calculations are 1.67×10⁻⁵ 1/K and 2.01×10⁻⁵ 1/K, respectively. The specific heat of OsB at constant pressure (volume) is also calculated. Meanwhile, we find that the Debye temperature of OsB increases monotonically with increasing pressure. The present study leads to a better understanding of how the OsB materials respond to pressure and temperature.     

Antiferromagnetic phase transition in garnet-type AgCa2Co2V3O12 and AgCa2Ni2V3O12

Antiferromagnetic phase transition in two vanadium garnets AgCa₂Co₂V₃O₁₂ and AgCa₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂ has been found and investigated extensively. The heat capacity exhibits sharp peak due to the antiferromagnetic order with the Néel temperature T_N=6.39 K for AgCa₂Co₂V₃O₁₂ and 7.21 K for AgCa₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂, respectively. The magnetic susceptibilities exhibit broad maximum, and these T_N correspond to the inflection points of the magnetic susceptibility χ a little lower than T(χ_max). The magnetic entropy changes from zero to 20 K per mol Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions are 5.31 J K⁻¹ mol-Co²⁺-ion⁻¹ and 6.85 J K⁻¹ mol-Ni²⁺-ion⁻¹, indicating S=1/2 for Co²⁺ ion and S=1 for Ni²⁺ ion. The magnetic susceptibility of AgCa₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂ shows the Curie-Weiss behavior between 20 and 350 K with the effective magnetic moment μ_eff=3.23 μ_B Ni²⁺-ion⁻¹ and the Weiss constant θ=−16.4 K (antiferromagnetic sign). Nevertheless, the simple Curie-Weiss law cannot be applicable for AgCa₂Co₂V₃O₁₂. The complex temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility has been interpreted within the framework of Tanabe-Sugano energy diagram, which is analyzed on the basis of crystalline electric field. The ground state is the spin doublet state ²E(t₂⁶e) and the first excited state is spin quartet state ⁴T₁(t₂⁵e²) which locates extremely close to the ground state. The low spin state S=1/2 for Co²⁺ ion is verified experimentally at least below 20 K which is in agreement with the result of the heat capacity.     

Kinetics of the H + NCO reaction

Ab initio transition state theory (TST) based master equation simulations are used to predict the temperature and pressure dependence of the H + NCO reaction rate and product branching. The barrierless entrance channels to form singlet HNCO and NCOH are studied with variable reaction coordinate TST employing a potential energy surface obtained from multi-reference configuration interaction ab initio calculations. The remaining channels, including reactions on the triplet surface, are studied with standard TST methods employing high level electronic structure results. The energy transfer parameters for the master equation simulations arise from a fit to the experimentally observed HNCO dissociation rate. The lowest energy threshold to formation of bimolecular products, ³NH + CO, lies well below the reactants. The bottleneck for intersystem crossing, which precedes the formation of ³NH + CO from the singlet adducts, becomes the dominant bottleneck for that channel at quite low energies relative to reactants. The effect of this bottleneck is studied with model calculations designed to reproduce detailed experimental observations of photolysis branching ratios. This bottleneck greatly reduces the flux from H + NCO to ³NH + CO via the singlet adducts. As a result, stabilization and reaction on solely the triplet surface are significant components of the overall rate. The present predictions for the high pressure and collisionless limit rate coefficients are accurately reproduced over the 200-2500 K range by the expressions, 1.53 × 10⁻⁵T^−1.86exp(−399/T) + 1.07 × 10³T^−3.15exp(−15219/T) and 5.62 × 10⁻¹²T^0.493exp(148/T) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively, where T is in K. These predictions are in reasonably satisfactory agreement with the somewhat discordant experimental rate measurements.