Search of hydrogen transition states on α-Fe: The monomer adapted to first principles calculations

In the context of the density functional theory (DFT), we use the ab-initio electronic structure code, SIESTA, coupled to an economic technique to find activated states (or migration barriers), in order to study atomic defects diffusion through the crystal lattice: The monomer method V.P. Ramunni, M.A. Alurralde, R.C. Pasianot, Phys. Rev. B 74 (2006) 054113]. We test our technique calculating the activated transition states of interstitial hydrogen (H) between two sites of high symmetry, tetrahedral and octahedral, in the α and β phases of Fe. The results are discussed in the context of experimental data and other available models.