Search

We report theoretical studies based on density functional theory within spin-orbit coupling to explore electronic structures, lattice dynamical properties of ZrSbTe and HfSbTe. With spin−orbit coupling included, our findings reveal that ZrSbTe and HfSbTe exhibit a semiconducting behavior with narrow indirect band gaps of 0.10 eV, and 0.15 eV, respectively. Besides, the lattice dynamical properties revealed that the explored materials based on antimonide−tellurides are dynamically stable. On the basis of electronic structures, the thermoelectric properties were computed using the Landauer-Buttiker formula by considering both electron and phonon contributions in the transport properties calculation. We employed Green’s-function method based on the Green-Kubo-Mori formula, where the thermoelectric properties such as the electrical conductivity σ and thermopower α were estimated in terms of the correlation functions. The present work could be viewed as a significant amendment of the electronic nature of ZrSbTe and HfSbTe that were reported to be metallic in literature.

We present a first-principles study of the phonon transport properties of the Half-Heusler NbCoSb compound. The single crystal elastic constants have been calculated using the stress- strain method. The mechanical properties such as bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and anisotropy factor are estimated using the Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation. The Grüneisen parameters, phonon life time, and lattice thermal conductivity have been studied in detail. The elastic and phonon properties reveal that this compound is mechanically and dynamically stable. An analysis of the harmonic and anharmonic phonon dispersion and vibrational density of states reveal that, NbCoSb has a very low lattice thermal conductivity, hence, it is a candidate thermoelectric material.

The structural, electronic and elastic properties of Rb-As systems (RbAs in NaP, LiAs and AuCu structures, RbAs2 in the MgCu2 structure, Rb3As in Na3As, Cu3P and Li3Bi structures, and Rb5As4 in the A5B4 structure) are investigated with the generalized gradient approximation in the frame of density functional theory. The lattice parameters, cohesive energies, formation energies, bulk moduli and the first derivatives of the bulk moduli (to fit Murnaghan's equation of state) of the considered structures are calculated and reasonable agreement is obtained. In addition, the phase transition pressures are also predicted. The electronic band structures, the partial densities of states corresponding to the band structures and the charge density distributions are presented and analysed. The second-order elastic constants based on the stress-strain method and other related quantities such as Young's modulus, the shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, sound velocities, the Debye temperature and shear anisotropy factors are also estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used density functional theory (DFT) to study the structural, elastic, electronic, and lattice dynamical properties of tetragonal BiCoO3 applying the "norm-conserving" pseudopotentials within the local spin density approximation (LSDA). The calculated equilibrium lattice parameters and atomic displacements are in agreement with the available experimental and theoretical results. Moreover, the structural stability of tetragonal BiCoO3 were confirmed by the calculated elastic constants. In addition, the elastic properties of polycrystalline aggregates including bulk, shear and Young's moduli, and Poisson's ratio are also determined. The electronic band structure, total and partial density of states (DOS and PDOS) with ferromagnetic spin configuration are obtained. The results show that tetragonal BiCoO3 has an indirect band gap with both up- and down-spin configurations and its bonding behavior is of covalent nature. We compute Born effective charge (BEC) which is found to be quite anisotropic of Bi, Co and O atoms. The infrared and Raman active phonon mode frequencies at the Г point are found. The phonon dispersion curves exhibit imaginary frequencies which lead from the high-symmetry tetragonal phase to low-symmetry rhombohedral phase in BiCoO3. The six independent elastic constants, including bulk, shear and Young's moduli, and Poisson's ratio, complete BEC tensor and phonon dispersion relations in tetragonal BiCoO3 are predicted for the first time. Results of the calculations are compared with the existing experimental and theoretical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]