Bulk Modulus and Electronic Band Structure of ZnGa2X4(X=S,Se): a First-Principles Study

First-principles local density functional calculations are presented for the compounds ZnGa₂X₄ (X=S,Se). We investigate the bulk moduli and electronic band structures in a defect chalcopyrite structure. The lattice constants and internal parameters are optimized. The electronic structures are analysed with the help of total and partial density of states. The relation between the cohesive energy and the unit cell volume is obtained by fully relaxed structures. We derive the bulk modulus of ZnGa₂X₄ by fitting the Birch-Murnaghan's equation of state. The extended Cohen's empirical formula agrees well with our ab initio results.     

Microhardness and bulk modulus of binary tetrahedral semiconductors

Using the plasma oscillations theory of solids, the microhardness and bulk modulus of binary tetrahedral semiconductors have been calculated. New relations between plasmon energy and these parameters have been proposed. Our calculated values of microhardness and bulk modulus from two different equations are in excellent agreement with the experimental values and the values reported by other workers. In the present model, no experimental data are required except the plasmon energy, and one can predict the value of these parameters in the case of unknown semiconductors where experimental measurements have not yet been made due to a lack of availability of experimental melting points, dielectric constants or bond lengths.     

Dissociative excitation of HD+, D2+ , and DT+ by electron impact

In the framework of the Multi-Channel Quantum Defect Theory (MQDT), a theoretical study of the dissociative excitation is presented. Numerical results for the dissociative excitation cross sections of HD ⁺, D ₂⁺, and DT ⁺ with electrons of energy between 2 and 12 eV are reported. The contribution of the vibrational continua of the two lowest electronic states as explicit ionization channels has been considered. Within a quasi-diabatic representation of the molecular electronic states, the Born expansion of second order is done in the K-matrix evaluation.     

过渡金属Tc及其氮化物TcN，TcN$lt;sub$gt;2$lt;/sub$gt;，TcN$lt;sub$gt;3$lt;/sub$gt;与TcN$lt;sub$gt;4$lt;/sub$gt;低压缩性的第一性原理计算研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算方法研究了Tc及其氮化物的弹性性质、电子结构、原子布局数等,并分析和计算了它的氮化物的理论硬度. 结果表明随着Tc中氮的掺入量的渐增,出现层状结构,它们的弹性模量并非单调增加,其中TcN的体弹模量最大而剪切模量最小;层状结构的TcN₃的剪切模量最大而体弹模量最小,TcN₄的理论计算硬度最大. 说明在Tc的氮化物中,其体弹模量与材料的晶体结构、平均每个原子上的电荷密度和材料的质量密度有关;化学键的共价性结构和氮元素的含量对理论计算硬度有正作用;而剪切模量的极大值则与其层状结构及体系中一定量的方向基本一致的N—N键相关. 关键词： 第一性原理 弹性性质 电子结构     

Elastic, electronic, and optical properties of hypothetical SnNNi3 and CuNNi3 in comparison with superconducting ZnNNi3

The elastic, electronic, and optical properties of MNNi₃ (M=Zn, Sn, and Cu) have been calculated using the plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential technique, which is based on the first-principle density functional theory (DFT) with generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The optimized lattice parameters, independent elastic constants (C₁₁, C₁₂, and C₄₄), bulk modulus B, compressibility K, shear modulus G, and Poisson's ratio υ, as well as the band structures, total and atom projected densities of states and finally the optical properties of MNNi₃ have been evaluated and discussed. The electronic band structures of the two hypothetical compounds show metallic behavior just like the superconducting ZnNNi₃. Using band structures, the origin of features that appear in different optical properties of all the three compounds has been discussed. The large reflectivity of the predicted compounds in the low energy region might be useful in good candidate materials for coating to avoid solar heating.     

Effect of rare earth (Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3, Gd2O3 and Er2O3 ) on the acoustic properties of glass belonging to bismuth-borate system

Bismuth-borate glasses doped with some rare earth ions were studied with respect to the density, molar volume and the elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratio, Debye temperature, microhardness, softening temperature, acoustic impedance, diffusion constant and latent heat of melting. Ultrasonic velocities were measured by the pulse echo overlap technique at a frequency of 10 MHz and at room temperature. From these velocities and density values, various elastic moduli were calculated. The correlation of elastic stiffness, the cross link density, and the fractal bond connectivity of these glasses are discussed. The derived experimental values of shear modulus, bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio for our glasses are compared with the theoretically calculated values in terms of the bond compression model and Makishima-Mackenize theory.     

Ejection of H2O,O2, H2 and H from water ice by 0.5–6 keV H+ and Ne+ ion bombardment

The ejection of H₂O, O₂, H₂ and H from water ice at 30–140 K, bombarded by 0.5–6 keV H⁺ and Ne⁺ was studied experimentally. Neon ions in this energy range deposit their energy in the ice by nuclear collisions, whereas with protons of 0.5 to 6 keV the energy deposition mechanism shifts gradually from predominantly nuclear collisions to predominantly electronic processes. The existing theory of nuclear sputtering predicts very well the yield of ejected water molecules and the experimental results in the region of electronic processes agree well with the experimental results of Lanzerotti, Brown and Johnson. However, the major mass loss from water by ion bombardment is via the ejection of O₂, H₂ and H atoms, which exceed the ejection of water molecules. O₂ and H₂ production is markedly enhanced at temperatures exceeding ~100 K, whereas H₂O and H production are temperature independent, suggesting that O₂ and H₂ are produced in the bulk of the ice whereas H₂O and H atoms are ejected from the surface or near surface layers.     

Theoretical investigation on the electronic structure, elastic properties, and intrinsic hardness of Si2N2O

According to the density functional theory we systematically study the electronic structure, the mechanical prop- erties and the intrinsic hardness of Si2N2O polymorphs using the first-principles method. The elastic constants of four Si2N2O structures are obtained using the stress-strain method. The mechanical moduli (bulk modulus, Young’s mod- ulus, and shear modulus) are evaluated using the Voigt-Reuss-Hill approach. It is found that the tetragonal Si2N2O exhibits a larger mechanical modulus than the other phases. Some empirical methods are used to calculate the Vickers hardnesses of the Si2N2O structures. We further estimate the Vickers hardnesses of the four Si2N2O crystal structures, suggesting all Si2N2O phases are not the superhard compounds. The results imply that the tetragonal Si2N2O is the hardest phase. The hardness of tetragonal Si2N2O is 31.52 GPa which is close to values of β-Si3N4 and γ-Si3N4.     

Electronic, elastic, optical properties of rutile TiO2 under pressure: A DFT study

The electronic, elastic constants and optical properties of rutile TiO₂ have been investigated using first principle pseudopotential method within generalized gradient approximation (GGA) proposed by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE). The calculated volume, bulk modulus and pressure derivative of bulk modulus are in good agreement with previous experimental and computational results. An underestimated band gap (1.970 eV) along with the higher density of states and expanded energy bands around the fermi level is obtained. Calculated elastic constants satisfying the Born stability criteria suggest that rutile TiO₂ is mechanically stable under higher hydrostatic pressure. The acoustic wave speeds in [1 0 0], [0 1 0], [0 0 1], [1 1 0] and [45° to [1 0 0] and [0 0 1]] directions are predicted using the investigated elastic constants. The dielectric constant is identified with respect to electronic band structure and is utilized to derive the other optical properties like refractive index, energy loss function, reflectivity and absorption. The effect of hydrostatic pressure (0-70 GPa) is described for listed properties. Our investigated results are in good accord with the existing theoretical and experimental results.     

Study of structural,elastic, electronic and thermodynamic properties of NaAlO3-perovskite

The structural, elastic, electronic, and thermodynamic properties of the cubic NaAlO₃-perovskite are calculated using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave with local orbital (FP-LAPW)+lo. The exchange-correlation energy, is treated in generalized gradient approximation (GGA) using the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) parameterization. The calculated equilibrium parameter is in good agreement with other works. The bulk modulus, elastic constants and their related parameters, such as Young modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson ratio were predicted. The electronic band structure of this compound has been calculated using the Angel-Vosko (EV) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange correlation potential. We deduced that NaAlO₃-perovskite exhibit a wide-gap which it is an indirect from R to Γ point. The analysis of the density of states (DOS) curves shows ionic and covalent character bond for Al–O and Na–O respectively.     

AuB2 in comparison to superconducting MgB2-an ab initio study

The noble metal diboride AuB₂, a potential candidate for superconductor, is studied by an ab initio method in comparison to the superconducting MgB₂. The results, described in terms of equilibrium lattice constants, bulk modulus, pressure derivative of bulk modulus and their in- and out-of-plane linear values, volume coefficient of T_c, density of states, band structure, show some similarity as well as dissimilarity between the behaviour of the two compounds. The implications for the behaviour are discussed.     

First-principles study on electronic structure and elastic properties of Fe16N2

We have performed first-principles study on structural stability, elastic properties and electronic structure of Fe₁₆N₂ by applying LSDA+U method. The calculated values of formation energy and reaction enthalpy for decomposition reaction indicate that Fe₁₆N₂ is a thermodynamically stable phase at the ground state. The six independent elastic constants are derived and the bulk modulus, Young's modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio are determined as 180 GPa, 199 GPa, 76 GPa and 0.32, respectively. The elastic constants meet all the mechanical stability criteria. The ductility of Fe₁₆N₂ is predicted by Pugh's criterion. The strong bonding between Fe and N atoms results in high values of elastic constants C₁₁ and C₃₃, and contributes to the strengthening of the Fe₁₆N₂ structural stability. The total and partial densities of states (DOS) suggest the existence of hybridization between N-p and Fe-d bands. The position of the Fermi level in DOS curve implies that Fe₁₆N₂ is a metastable phase.     

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.     

Static and thermophysical properties of chalcogenide crystals with NaCl structure

In the present communication an analysis of interionic potentials in fourteen chalcogenide crystals has been performed. This interionic potential has been used to predict the values of cohesive energy, isothermal bulk modulus and the pressure derivatives of bulk modulus in the solids under study. The many body interaction (MBI) effects have been taken into account within the framework of Hafemeister Zarht potential. Instead of using BM potential the Hafemeister-Zarht (HZ) type short range overlap potential has been considered between nearest as well as between next nearest neighbour ions. The short-range interactions, effective up to second neighbours are treated by considering the hardness parameter as an ionic property. The hardness parameter ρ_ij is evaluated using the data on overlap integrals. The results achieved in the present study are generally in good agreement with available experimental data. Values of cohesive energy, bulk modulus and its pressure derivatives calculated by previous investigators have also been shown for the sake of comparison.     

EPR study on Mn2+-Cu2+ and Ni2+-Cu2+ mixed pairs

An EPR study at X- and Q-band frequencies has been made on mixed metal pairs Mn²⁺-Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺-Cu²⁺ obtained by doping the dimer complex C₅H₅NO CuCl₂ · H₂O. Available experimental data have been confirmed and extended, particularly as regards the characteristic directions of the various magnetic tensors. The qualitative behaviour of the spectra and the somewhat singular values of the magnetic parameters can be well-described on the basis of a theoretical model in which a very strong “cosine” interaction between the total electronic spins is assumed. From the model some interesting new aspects emerge, concerning the relations between pairs and single-ion EPR parameters.     

Vibrational intensity distributions for the various electronic states of O2+, N2+ and CO+ produced by photoionization

The vibrational intensity distributions produced by the process of photoionization are tabulated as a function of wavelength between 745 and 304 Å for all major electronic states of O₂⁺, N₂⁺ and CO⁺. The technique of photoelectron spectroscopy was used with an electron energy analyzer of known luminosity.     

The structural, elastic and thermodynamic properties of intermetallic compound CeGa2

The structural, elastic and thermodynamic characteristics of CeGa₂ compound in the AlB₂ (space group: P6/mmm) and the omega trigonal (space group: P-3m1) type structures are investigated using the methods of density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The thermodynamic properties of the considered structures are obtained through the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The results on the basic physical parameters, such as the lattice constant, the bulk modulus, the pressure derivative of bulk modulus, the phase-transition pressure (P _t ) from P6/mmm to P-3m1 structure, the second-order elastic constants, Zener anisotropy factor, Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus, and the isotropic shear modulus are presented. In order to gain further information, the pressure and temperature-dependent behavior of the volume, the bulk modulus, the thermal expansion coefficient, the heat capacity, the entropy, Debye temperature and Grüneisen parameter are also evaluated over a pressure range of 0–6 GPa and a wide temperature range of 0–1800 K. The obtained results are in agreement with the available experimental and the other theoretical values.     

Theoretical investigation of the elastic,electronic, thermodynamic and optical properties of the zinc-blende structure AlN under high pressure

The elastic, electronic, thermodynamic and optical properties of the zinc-blende structure aluminum nitride (AlN) under high pressure have been investigated using first-principles calculations. The dependencies of the elastic constants, the bulk modulus, the shear modulus and energy gaps on the applied pressure are presented, and the results are in good agreement with comparable experimental and theoretical values. Also, the energy band structure and density of states under high pressure have been analysed. Furthermore, the optical constants, including the dielectric function, optical reflectivity, refractive index and electron energy loss, are discussed for radiation up to 50 eV.     

First-principles calculations of structural, elastic, electronic and optical properties of the antiperovskite AsNMg3

The density functional theory (DFT) calculations of structural, elastic, electronic and optical properties of the cubic antiperovskite AsNMg₃ has been reported using the pseudo-potential plane wave method (PP-PW) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The equilibrium lattice, bulk modulus and its pressure derivative have been determined. 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 AsNMg₃ aggregate. We estimated the Debye temperature of AsNMg₃ from the average sound velocity. This is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the elastic properties of AsNMg₃ compound, and it still awaits experimental confirmation. Band structure, density of states and pressure coefficients of energy gaps are also given. The fundamental band gap (Γ-Γ) initially increases up to 4 GPa and then decreases as a function of pressure. Furthermore, the dielectric function, optical reflectivity, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and electron energy loss are calculated for radiation up to 30 eV. The all results are compared with the available theoretical and experimental data.     

Energy band structure and modulation spectra of A2B4C25 semiconductors

The results of the energy band structure calculations of A²B⁴C₂⁵ compounds are reviewed, and the differences in the energy spectra passing from A³B⁵ semiconductors to their closest ternary analogs are described. The origin of the lowest conduction band minima of A²B⁴C₂⁵ compounds was determined from the slopes of the fundamental absorption edge and the pressure coefficients of the energy gap. The investigations of the valence band structure from electroreflectance (ER), thermoreflectance (TR) and wavelength modulated absorption (WMA) spectra are reviewed. In the higher energy region the ER and TR spectra of A²B⁴C₂⁵ compounds were found to be more complicated in comparison with those of their binary analogs. A model of an assignment of the structures in optical spectra of A²B⁴C₂⁵ compounds is discussed.