The structural properties of RbMnX<Subscript>3</Subscript> (X = F,Cl, Br) halides

The results of nonempirical calculation of energies of three polytypes (cubic, two-layer hexagonal, and six-layer hexagonal) are given for RbMnX₃ (X = F, Cl, Br) crystals. The calculation is performed using an ionic crystal model with regard for the deformability and the dipole and quadrupole polarizabilities of ions. The behavior of these crystals under the action of hydrostatic pressure is studied. It is demonstrated that, at normal pressure, the RbMnCl₃ and RbMnBr₃ crystals have a six-layer hexagonal structure. At pressures above 11 kbar, RbMnCl₃ passes to a phase with a cubic structure; RbMnBr₃ at pressures above 90 kbar passes to a phase with a two-layer hexagonal structure. The RbMnF₃ crystal under normal conditions has a cubic structure and experiences no phase transformations under the effect of pressure. The obtained results are in satisfactory agreement with the known experimental data.     

Lattice dynamics and hydrostatic-pressure-induced phase transitions in ScF3

New phase transitions induced by hydrostatic pressure in a cubic (under standard conditions) ScF₃ crystal are discovered by the methods of polarization microscopy and Raman scattering. The space groups $R\bar 3c$ for Z=2 and Pnma for Z=4 are proposed for the high-pressure phases. A nonempirical computation of the lattice dynamics of the crystal is carried out. It is shown that, under normal pressure, the cubic phase is stable down to T=0 K, while the application of a hydrostatic pressure gives rise to a phonon branch in the vibrational spectrum (between points R and M of the Brillouin zone) with negative values of squares of frequencies. The condensation of soft mode R₅ at the boundary point of the Brillouin zone leads to rhombohedral distortion of the cubic structure with the unit cell volume doubling. The calculated frequencies at q=0 of the ScF₃ lattice in the distorted rhombohedral phase are real-valued; the number and position of frequencies active in Raman scattering are in accord with the experimental values.     

Lattice dynamics and ferroelectric instability in ordered and disordered PbSc<Subscript>1/2</Subscript>Ta<Subscript>1/2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and PbSc<Subscript>1/2</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>1/2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> solid solutions

The dynamic Born charges and the frequency spectra of lattice oscillations in the crystals of ordered and disordered PbSc_1/2Ta_1/2O₃ (PST) and PbSc_1/2Nb_1/2O₃ (PSN) solid solutions have been calculated within the framework of the generalized Gordon-Kim model with allowance for the dipole and quadrupole polarizabilities. The phonon spectra of both compounds contain ferroelectric soft modes. The influence of various interactions on the magnitude of dynamic charges and ferroelectric instability in PSN and PST solid solutions has been studied and it is shown that both these charges and the ferroelectric instability are determined by the competition between long-range dipole-dipole interactions and short-range dipole-charge interactions, the determining role played by the interaction of Nb (Ta) cations and oxygen anions in the Nb-O (Ta-O) bond direction.     

Effect of Sr<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ion substitution with trivalent ions (Sc<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, In<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, La<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, Bi<Superscript>3+</Superscript>) on its ferroelectric instability in SrTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The vibration frequencies of unstable ferroelectric and antiferrodistortion modes and the dependences of the energy on the ion displacement amplitude have been calculated within the generalized Gordon-Kim model for distortions along eigenvectors of these modes in the mixed compounds Sr_{1 − x} A _x Ti_{1 − x} /₄□ _x/4O₃ and Sr_{1 − y} A _2y /₃□ _y/3TiO₃ (A = Sc³⁺, In³⁺, La³⁺, Bi³⁺; □ is the vacancy). To compensate an excess positive charge, vacancies are introduced into the Ti⁴⁺ or Sr²⁺ site. Calculations have been performed in the “daverage” crystal approximation for impurity concentrations of 0.25 and 0.50. To this end, a set of 40 atomic superlattices with various orderings of heterovalent ions Sr²⁺ and impurity A ³⁺ has been considered. It has been found that each impurity type, independently of charge balance, induces ferroelectric instabilities in doped compounds. In the case of doping with In³⁺ and La³⁺ for concentration x = 0.25, the possibility of rotating the polarization vector has been shown.     

Lattice dynamics and the ferroelectric phase transition in ordered Pb2B′B″O6 (B′ = Ga, In, Lu; B″ = Nb, Ta) solid solutions

The lattice vibration spectrum, rf permittivity, and dynamic Born charges have been calculated for ordered Pb₂ B′B″O₃ (B′=Ga, In, Lu; B″=Nb, Ta) solid solutions in terms of the generalized Gordon—Kim model. It has been shown that all compounds exhibit a ferroelectric instability and that the frequencies of “soft” ferroelectric modes are close in magnitude. The ferroelectric phase-transition temperatures and the spontaneous polarization in the ferroelectric phase of the solid solutions under consideration have been calculated by the Monte Carlo method using the model Hamiltonian in the local mode approximation. The transition temperature is found to increase with increasing atomic number of the B′ ion.     

Vibrational spectra and elastic,piezoelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of HoFe3(BO3)4 and HoAl3(BO3)4 crystals

Raman spectra of light are obtained for HoFe₃(BO₃)₄ and HoAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystals at various temperatures and are used for determining the frequencies of crystal lattice vibrations at the center of the Brillouin zone. It is also found that the HoFe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal exhibits a phase transition at T _c ≈ 366 K. The magnetoelectric effect in the paramagnetic phase of these compounds is studied experimentally. The lattice vibration frequencies, elastic and piezoelectric moduli, Born dynamic charges, and the high-frequency permittivity are calculated using the density functional method. A peculiar behavior of the transverse acoustic vibration branch is observed in the Γ → Z direction of the Brillouin zone of the HoFe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal. The electric polarization induced by an external field is estimated using the calculated values of piezoelectric moduli and experimental values of magnetostriction.     

Calculation and Comparison of Electronic,Vibrational, Polarization,and Magnetic Properties of Double Perovskites CaMnTi 2 O 6 and CaFeTi 2 O 6

Vibrational, polarization, magnetic, and electronic properties of double perovskites CaMnTi2O6 and CaFeTi2O6 with a rare type of “column” ordering of divalent metal cations have been calculated based on the density functional theory. Analysis of the crystal lattice dynamics for paraelectric phase P42/nmc of both compounds has revealed that ferroelectric instability exists only in CaMnTi2O6. It is found that the structure distortion of the paraphrase of CaMnTi2O6 in the eigenvector of the unstable polar mode leads to a structure with the P42/nmc space group. The calculated spontaneous polarization for the ferroelectric phase of CaMnTi2O6 is Ps = 25 μC/cm2. The spin-polarization calculations have shown that the ground state is ferromagnetic in the CaFeTi2O6 crystal and antiferromagnetic in the CaMnTi2O6 crystal. The exchange interaction constants have been calculated using the Heisenberg model and the mean field approximation; the phase transition temperature for each compound has been estimated.     

Lattice dynamics of BiFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript> under hydrostatic pressure

The vibrational frequencies of the BiFeO₃ crystal lattice in the cubic phase (Pm3m) and the rhombohedral paraelectric phase (R3c) are calculated in terms of the ab initio model of an ionic crystal with the inclusion of the dipole and quadrupole polarizabilities. In the ferroelectric phase with the symmetry R3c, the calculated spontaneous polarization of 136 μC cm^?2 agrees well with the experimental data. The dependences of the unit cell volume, the elastic modulus, and the vibrational frequencies on the pressure are calculated. It is found that the frequency of an unstable ferroelectric mode in both the cubic (Pm3m) and rhombohedral (R3c) phases are almost independent of the applied pressure, in contrast to classical ferroelectrics with a perovskite structure, where the ferroelectric instability is very sensitive to a variation in the pressure.     

Calculations of the lattice dynamics and spontaneous polarization for thin ferroelectric films of disordered solid solutions PbB′1/2 B″1/2O3 (B′ = Sc,Ga, In,Lu; B″ = Nb,Ta)

Physics of the Solid State - The lattice dynamics and spontaneous polarization in thin ferroelectric films of disordered solid solutions PbB′1/2 B″1/2 O3 (B′ = Sc, Ga, In, Lu;...     

Ab Initio Study of the Polarization,Electronic, Magnetic,and Optical Properties of Perovskite SrMO<Subscript>3</Subscript> (M = Fe,Mn) Crystals and Thin Films Containing Magnetic Ions

The magnetic, electronic, and polarization properties of the SrFeO₃ and SrMnO₃ compounds with a perovskite structure are calculated using the density functional theory in the bulk and thin-film states. A ferroelectric instability is found to be absent in the bulk state, and the polar mode is softened in the thin-film state of SrMnO₃ in the presence of tensile stresses in the substrate. As a result, a polar phase with a polarization of 23 μC/cm² appears, which agrees with experimental data. The study of the magnetic and electronic properties demonstrates the existence of G-type antiferromagnetic ordering in SrMnO₃ and the appearance of a dielectric gap of about 1.5 eV in its thin film. A ferromagnetic phase with metallic conduction in both the bulk and thin-film states is detected in SrFeO₃.