Pressure-induced phase transitions in CaB6 by means of XRD and resistance measurement

High pressure behavior of CaB₆ with cubic crystal structure is investigated by means of energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and by employing in situ resistance measurement in a diamond anvil cell. Two newcome high pressure phase transitions are found with pressure ranging from ambient to 26 GPa. The first one at 12 GPa is a structural phase transition from CsCl-type structure to orthogonal structure, which is reflected by both the X-ray diffraction and the resistance variation. The other one at 3.7 GPa is suggested to be an electronic transition, which is observed only in resistance measurement. The diffraction pattern recovered while the pressure is released to 0 GPa with a pressure hysteresis over 11 GPa, which implies the reversibility of the two phase transitions. Bulk moduli of the cubic and orthogonal phases are estimated by fitting the data to a Brich-Murnaghan equation of state equal to 169.9 and 48.2 GPa, respectively.     

High pressure structural phase transitions of PbPo

First-principles calculations have been performed to investigate the high pressure phase transitions and dynamical properties of the less known lead polonium compound. The calculated ground state parameters for the NaCl phase show good agreement with the experimental data. The obtained results show that the intermediate phase transition for this compound is the orthorhombic Pnma phase. The PbPo undergoes from the rocksalt to Pnma phase at 4.20 GPa. Further structural phase transition from intermediate to CsCl phase has been found at 8.5 GPa. In addition, phonon dispersion spectra were derived from linear-response to density functional theory. In particular, we show that the dynamical properties of PbPo exhibit some peculiar features compared to other III–V compounds. Finally, thermodynamics properties have been also addressed from quasiharmonic approximation.     

High-pressure X-ray diffraction study of 1T-TaS2

We present a room temperature high-pressure X-ray diffraction study of the layered compound 1T-TaS₂ up to 20 GPa. This material is known to exhibit a variety of structural phase transitions that are ascribed to the stabilization of charge density wave states. It has been recently shown that at pressures larger than 3 GPa and up to 25 GPa, 1T-TaS₂ becomes superconductor below about 5 K. It was suggested that this superconductivity coexists with different CDW states, an hypothesis that can be tested by X-ray diffraction. Our first results at room temperature show that at around 1.9 GPa, the nearly-commensurate (NCCDW) phase transforms into a phase similar to the high temperature incommensurate phase (ICCDW). Above 9 GPa, we show the existence of another IC phase, still discernable up to 20 GPa despite the pressure-induced crystal damage above 13 GPa. These results are consistent with resistivity measurements, but call for a complete exploration of the P–T phase diagram of 1T-TaS₂.     

Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy study of benzoic acid at high pressures

Benzoic acid (C₆H₅COOH, BA) has been studied by high pressure Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy up to about 13.40 GPa using a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. The changes of lattice modes are interpreted as the crystal structure transformation. Three possible phase transitions, with the pressure increasing up to about 0.55, 3.67 and 11.10 GPa, are, respectively, elucidated as crystalline-to-crystalline, crystalline-to-amorphous transitions. A new material formed when the pressure is up to above 11.10 GPa remains stable after the pressure is released.     

Phase transitions in CsHSO4 up to 2.5 GPa: Impedance spectroscopy under pressure

Phase transitions in CsHSO₄ at pressures up to 2.5 GPa have been studied with the help of electrical impedance measurements. The phase boundaries have been identified with the help of calculated activation energies of electrical conductivity and dielectric relaxation time. The derived temperatures of phase transition from the low conductive phase II into super ionic phase I at pressure less than 1 GPa confirm the previous results of Ponyatovski? et al. (1985) [4] and Friesel et al. (1989) [27]. The phase diagram derived in this study for pressure larger than 1 GPa differs from the data of Ponyatovski? et al. (1985) [4]. The phase transitions IV-VI and VI-I occur at higher temperatures having significantly larger Clapeyron slope. The phase VII was not identified from heating cycle and appears only under cooling between phases I and VI. The phase VIII was detected at 2.5 GPa at T<350 K and only during heating.     

Structural stability,electronic structure and mechanical properties of 4d transition metal nitrides TMN (TM=Ru,Rh, Pd)

Ab initio calculations are performed to investigate the structural stability, electronic, structural and mechanical properties of 4d transition metal nitrides TMN (TM=Ru, Rh, Pd) for five different crystal structures, namely NaCl, CsCl, zinc blende, NiAs and wurtzite. Among the considered structures, zinc blende structure is found to be the most stable one among all three nitrides at normal pressure. A structural phase transition from ZB to NiAs phase is predicted at a pressure of 104 GPa, 50.5 GPa and 56 GPa for RuN, RhN and PdN respectively. The electronic structure reveals that these nitrides are metallic. The calculated elastic constants indicate that these nitrides are mechanically stable at ambient condition.     

Field-induced CDW in HMTSF-TCNQ

Field-induced successive transitions were observed in magnetoresistance in the quasi-one-dimensional organic conductor, HMTSF-TCNQ, hexamethylene-tetraselena-fulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane. The magnetoresistance exhibits kink transitions accompanying hysteresis at pressures around 1 GPa, but neither at p=0 nor at 2 GPa. At p=0 and below 30 K, this material undergoes charge density wave (CDW) state, which is suppressed around 1 GPa, where successive transitions are observed. Since these behavior is only observed at the boundary in pressure between insulator and metal, and the nature of the insulating state is CDW at p=0, it is strongly suggested that the successive transitions observed in magnetoresistance might be associated with CDW, accordingly a field-induced CDW by the one-dimensionalization by strong magnetic field ranging from 10 to 30 T. The behaviors are compared with previously claimed FICDW and the established FISDW (field-induced-spin-density-wave).     

In situ observations of temperature- and pressure-induced phase transitions in TiH2: Angle-dispersive and synchrotron energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction studies

We investigated the behavior of the structure of titanium hydride (TiH₂), an important compound in hydrogen storage research, at elevated temperatures (0-120 °C) and high pressures (1 bar-34 GPa). Temperature-induced changes of TiH₂ as indicated in the alteration of the ambient X-ray demonstrated a cubic to tetragonal phase transition occurring at about 17 °C. The main focus of this study was to identify any pressure-induced structural transformations, including possible phase transitions, in TiH₂. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies were carried out in situ (diamond anvil cell) in a compression sequence up to 34 GPa and in subsequent decompression to ambient pressure. The pressure evolution of the diffraction patterns revealed a cubic (Fm-3m) to tetragonal (I4/mmm) phase transition at 2.2 GPa. The high-pressure phase persisted up to 34 GPa. After decompression to ambient conditions the observed phase transition was completely reversible. A Birch-Murnaghan fit of the unit cell volume as a function of pressure yielded a zero-pressure bulk modulus K₀=146(14) GPa, and its pressure derivative K′₀=6(1) for the high-pressure tetragonal phase of TiH₂.     

High-pressure powder diffraction study of TaO2F

TaO₂F, with a ReO₃-type structure, has been studied at up to 12.8 GPa using monochromatic synchrotron powder diffraction and diamond anvil cells. Two-phase transitions at ∼0.7 and 4 GPa were observed on compression. Below ∼0.7 GPa the cubic material was found to have a bulk modulus (K₀) of 36(3) GPa (K_p fixed at 4.0), similar to that reported for NbO₂F but much smaller than that of ReO₃. Immediately above 0.7 GPa on compression, the diffraction data were not fully consistent with a VF₃-type structure as previously proposed for NbO₂F. On decompression, the data between 8 and 4 GPa could be satisfactorily attributed to a single R-3c phase with a VF₃-type structure and an average bulk modulus of 60(2) GPa.     

Structural,electronic and optical properties of LiBeP in its normal and high pressure phases

An investigation on the structural stabilities, electronic and optical properties of LiBeP under high pressure was conducted using the all-electron density functional theory within the local density approximation. Our results show that the sequence of the pressure induced phase transition of LiBeP is the Cu₂Sb-type structure (P4/nmm), the MgSrSi-type structure (Pnma) and the LiGaGe-type structure (P6₃mc). The first transition (P4/nmm to Pnma) takes place at 2.95 GPa and the second (Pnma to P6₃mc) at 6.65 GPa. In the three phases, the bandgap is indirect and the valence band maximum is at the zone center. With increasing pressure LiBeP in the LiGaGe structure becomes a direct gap semiconductor at 19.75 GPa. The assignments of the structures in the optical spectra and the band structure transitions are discussed. The mean value of the optical dielectric constant for the Cu₂Sb phase is smaller than that for the MgSrSi and the LiGaGe ones. This compound has a positive uniaxial anisotropy in the LiGaGe structure. The absorption coefficient along the z   direction, _αzz${\alpha }_{\mathit{zz}}$, for the MgSrSi structure is higher than that in the other two structures in the visible regime.     

First-principles study of structural stability, electronic and elastic properties of ZrC compounds

We theoretically study the possible pressure-induced structural phase transition, electronic and elastic properties of ZrC by using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), in the presence and absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The calculations indicate that there exists a phase transition from the NaCl-type (B1) structure to CsCl-type (B2) structure at the transition pressure of 313.2 GPa (without SOC) and 303.5 GPa (with SOC). The detailed structural changes during the phase transition were analyzed. The band structure shows that B1-ZrC is metallic. A pseudogap appears around the Fermi level of the total density of states (DOS) of the B1 phase of ZrC, which may contribute to its structural stability.     

First principles study of pressure induced structural phase transition in hydrogen storage material—MgH2

First principles calculation were performed using Vienna ab-initio simulation package within the frame work of density functional theory (DFT) to understand the electronic properties of magnesium hydride. At normal pressure, the most stable structure of MgH₂ is rutile type with a wide band gap of 3.52 eV, which agrees well with the available data. A pressure induced semi-conductor to metallic transition at a pressure of 92.54 GPa is predicted. Our results indicate a sequence of pressure induced structural phase transition in MgH₂. The obtained sequence of phase transition was α→γ→β→δ→ε at a pressure of 0.37 GPa, 3.89 GPa,7.23 GPa and 11.26 GPa, respectively. Thus our results indicate that MgH₂ is one of the best hydrogen storage material and the maximum storage capacity achieved was 7.7%.     

Melting curve of silicon to 15 GPa determined by two-dimensional angle-dispersive diffraction using a Kawai-type apparatus with X-ray transparent sintered diamond anvils

The melting curve of silicon has been determined up to 15 GPa using a miniaturized Kawai-type apparatus with second-stage cubic anvils made of X-ray transparent sintered diamond. Our results are in good agreement with the melting curve determined by electrical resistivity measurements [V.V. Brazhkin, A.G. Lyapin, S.V. Popova, R.N. Voloshin, Nonequilibrium phase transitions and amorphization in Si, Si/GaAs, Ge, and Ge/GaSb at the decompression of high-pressure phases, Phys. Rev. B 51 (1995) 7549] up to the phase I (diamond structure)—phase II (β-tin structure)—liquid triple point. The triple point of phase XI (orthorhombic, Imma)—phase V (simple hexagonal)—liquid has been constrained to be at 14.4(4) GPa and 1010(5) K. These results demonstrate that the combination of X-ray transparent anvils and monochromatic diffraction with area detectors offers a reliable technique to detect melting at high pressures in the multianvil press.     

Structural phase transition of ScSb and YSb with a NaCl-type structure at high pressures

By use of synchrotron radiation, powder X-ray diffraction of ScSb and YSb with a NaCl-type structure has been studied up to 45 GPa at room temperature. A first-order phase transition from the NaCl-type (B1) to a CsCl-type structure (B2) began to occur at around 28 GPa for ScSb and at around 26 GPa for YSb. Crystal data of the high-pressure phase of both antimonides are obtained. The high-pressure structural behavior of ScSb and YSb is similar to that of heavier LnSb (Ln=Dy-Lu). The B1-B2 transition for ScSb and YSb can be understood according to the rigid sphere model. The bulk moduli of ScSb and YSb are about 58 GPa at ambient pressure.     

Pressure induced transitions in calcium: a tight-binding approach

A tight-binding (TB) hamiltonian for calcium is built with a high precision parametrization technique based on density functional calculations of the energy bands and the total energy at various lattice volumes. The new set of TB parameters is appropriate to study phenomena under pressures as high as 20 GPa. Specifically, both the metal to nonmetal transition at 4 GPa and the structural transition fcc to bcc at 19 GPa are well reproduced. These transitions and several static properties are in excellent agreement with experiments. Phonon frequencies, plasmon energy, melting temperature and the coefficient of thermal expansion were calculated with a molecular dynamics scheme of this TB hamiltonian.     

Measurement of Seebeck effect (thermoelectric power) at high pressure up to 40 GPa

The paper reports details of a high-pressure thermoelectric power (Seebeck effect) technique up to 40 GPa. Several different types of high-pressure cells with anvil insets are presented. The technique was applied for measurements of pressure dependence of the thermopower of several substances including elemental metals (lead, Pb; indium, In), cerium-nickel alloy, Ce-Ni and sulphur, S. Two peculiarities in the pressure dependences of the thermopower of CeNi were found and attributed to structural transformations, near ∼5 and ∼10 GPa. These transitions were confirmed in direct X-ray diffraction studies. Sulphur compressed to 40 GPa exhibited a hole type conductivity and the thermopower value was about ∼+1 mV/K. Additionally, as an example of pressure calibration, the data on the electrical resistivity of zinc selenide, ZnSe, are given in a range of 0-23 GPa. These data suggest three possible scenarios of phase transitions from a rock salt (RS) high-pressure phase of ZnSe under decompression: RS→zinc blende (ZB), RS→cinnabar→ZB, and RS→wurtzite.     

Photoluminescence properties of Sm-doped BaBr2 under hydrostatic pressure

Photoluminescence spectra of Sm²⁺-doped BaBr₂ have been measured under hydrostatic pressures up to 17 GPa at room temperature. In the low pressure range a red-shift of the broad 5d-4f transition of −145 cm⁻¹/GPa is observed. From 5 to 8 GPa a phase mixture of the initial orthorhombic phase and the high-pressure monoclinic phase gives rise to two 5d-4f bands, which are strongly overlapping. Above 8 GPa the crystal is completely transformed to its high-pressure phase where two different Sm²⁺ sites exist, but only one broad 5d-4f transition is detected. It exhibits a red-shift of −36 cm⁻¹/GPa. In addition, the line shifts of the ⁵D₀→⁷F_J (J=0, 1, 2) transitions are investigated. Linear shifts of −19 cm⁻¹/GPa for J=0, 2 and of −13 cm⁻¹/GPa for J=1 are observed in the pressure range from 0 to 5 GPa.     

Pressure-induced phase transformations in l-alanine crystals

Raman scattering and synchrotron X-ray diffraction have been used to investigate the high-pressure behavior of l-alanine. This study has confirmed a structural phase transition observed by Raman scattering at 2.3 GPa and identified it as a change from orthorhombic to tetragonal structure. Another phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic structure has been observed at about 9 GPa. From the equation of state, the zero-pressure bulk modulus and its pressure derivative have been determined as (31.5±1.4) GPa and 4.4±0.4, respectively.     

The structural, elastic and electronic properties of BiI3: First-principles calculations

The structural, elastic and electronic properties of BiI₃ are investigated using the first-principles pseudopotential calculations within the framework of density functional theory. The calculated equilibrium structural parameters agree well with the experimental values. The results show that rhombohedral R-3 structure is low enthalpy structure at zero pressure. R-3 structure will transform into SbI₃-type structure (space group P2₁/c) at about 7.0 GPa. At zero pressure, BiI₃ with R-3 symmetry meets the mechanical stability criteria, but BiI₃ with P-31 m symmetry is an unstable one mechanically. For R-3 structure, the obtained bulk, shear, and Young’s moduli are 25.6, 15.3 and 38.3 GPa, respectively. BiI₃ presents large elastic anisotropy. Debye temperature of R-3 structure calculated is 181 K. The metallization pressure of R-3 structure is about 133 GPa and that of predicted high pressure phase P2₁/c structure is about 61 GPa, indicating BiI₃’s potential application as a nuclear radiation detector under high pressure environment.     

Full potential calculation of structural, elastic properties and high-pressure phase of binary noble metal carbide: ruthenium carbide

We present in this paper the results of an ab initio theoretical study within the local density approximation (LDA) to determine in rock-salt (B1), cesium chloride (B2), zinc-blende (B3), and tungsten carbide (WC) type structures, the structural, elastic constants, hardness properties and high-pressure phase of the noble metal carbide of ruthenium carbide (RuC).The ground state properties such as the equilibrium lattice constant, elastic constant, the bulk modulus, its pressure derivative, and the hardness in the four phases are determined and compared with available theoretical data. Only for the three phases B1, B3, and WC, is the RuC mechanically stable, while in the B2 phase it is unstable, but in B3 RuC is the most energetically favourable phase with the bulk modulus 263 GPa, and at sufficiently high pressure (P_t=19.2 GPa) the tungsten carbide (WC) structure would be favoured, where ReC-WC is meta-stable.The highest bulk modulus values in the B3, B2, and WC structures and the hardnesses of H(B3)=36.94 GPa, H(B1)=25.21 GPa, and H(WC)=25.30 GPa indicate that the RuC compound is a superhard material in B3, and is not superhard in B1 and WC structures compared with the H(diamond)=96 GPa.