Materials Theory

Elastic matrix distortion around a growing inclusion of a new phase is analyzed and the associated contribution to the Gibbs free energy is considered. The constant-composition transformation from the parent to product phase is considered within the frame of Landau theory of phase transitions. The volume misfit between the inclusion and matrix is assumed to originate from the transformation volume change coupled with the phenomenological order parameter. The minimization of free energy with respect to the volume change and order parameter gives the dependence of Gibbs energy on the volume fraction of the product phase. The transformation proceeds in a finite temperature region with the equilibrium volume fraction dependent on temperature rather than at a fixed temperature as it would be expected for the first-order transition. The activation processes are shown to be irrelevant and the transformation kinetics is found to be fluctuationless.

Following Sham and Rice [L. J. Sham, T. M. Rice, Phys. Rev. 144 (1966) 708] the correlated motion of particle-hole pairs is studied, starting from the general two-particle Greens function. In this way we derive a matrix equation for eigenvalues and wave functions, respectively, of the general type of collective excitation of a N-particle system. The interplay between excitons and plasmons is fully described by this new set of equations. As a by-product we obtain - at least a-posteriori - a justification for the use of the TDLDA for simple-metal clusters.

Ab initio calculations based on the density-functional pseudopotential approach have been used to study the fully relaxed structure, the electron distribution and the electronic density of states of (001) terraces, steps, corners and reverse corners, and of F-centers at these surface features on MgO. The calculations confirm earlier predictions of the relaxed structures of surface irregularities based on simple interaction models. A substantial narrowing of the band-gap is found at the surface, which for terraces and steps is due to surface states at the bottom of the conduction band, but for the corner and reverse corner is also due to surface states at the top of the valence band. The F-center formation energy decreases steadily as the coordination of the oxygen site is reduced. The energy of the F-center level shows a tendency to approach the top of the valence band as the coordination of its site decreases.

Surface energies for different GaAs surface orientations have been calculated as a function of the chemical potential. We use an energy density formalism within the first-principles pseudopotential density-functional approach. The equilibrium crystal shape (ECS) has been derived from the surface energies for the (110), (100), (111), and (-1-1-1) orientations. Under As-rich conditions all four considered surface orientations exist in thermodynamic equilibrium, in agreement with experimental observations. Moreover, our calculations allow us to decide on previous contradictory theoretical values for the surface energies of the (111) and (-1-1-1) facets.

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory and the pseudo\-potential method have been used to investigate the influence of gradient corrections to the standard LDA technique on the equilibrium structure and energetics of rutile TiO 2 and SnO 2 perfect crystals and their (110) surfaces. We find that gradient corrections increase the calculated lattice parameters by roughly 3~\%, as has been found for other types of material. Gradient corrections give only very minor changes to the equilibrium surface structure, but reduce the surface energies by about 30~\%.

The melting curve for MgO was obtained using molecular dynamics and a non-empirical, many-body potential. We also studied premelting effects by computing the dynamical structure factor in the crystal on approach to melting. The melting curve simulations were performed with periodic boundary conditions with cells up to 512 atoms using the ab-initio Variational Induced Breathing (VIB) model. The melting curve was obtained by computing and Δ V m and integrating the Clapeyron equation. Our is in agreement with previous estimates and we obtain a reasonable Δ V m , but our melting slope dT/dP (114 K/GPa) is three times greater than that of Zerr and Boehler [1994] (35 K/GPa), suggesting a problem with the experimental melting curve, or an indication of exotic, non-ionic behavior of MgO liquid. We computed S(q,ω) from simulations of 1000 atom clusters using the Potential Induced Breathing (PIB) model. A low frequency peak in the dynamical structure factor arises below the melting point which appears to be related to the onset of bulk many-atom diffusive exchanges. These exchanges may help destabilize the crystalline state and be related to intrinsic crystalline instability suggested in earlier simulations.

First-principles molecular dynamics simulations having a duration of 8 ps have been used to study the static, dynamic and electronic properties of l-Ga at the temperatures 702 K and 982 K. The simulations use the density-functional pseudopotential method and the system is maintained on the Born-Oppenheimer surface by conjugate gradients relaxation. The static structure factor and radial distribution function of the simulated system agree very closely with experimental data, but the diffusion coefficient is noticeably lower than measured values. The long simulations allow us to calculate the dynamical structure factor S(q,ω) . A sound-wave peak is clearly visible in S(q,ω) at small wavevectors, and we present results for the dispersion curve and hence the sound velocity, which is close to the experimental value. The electronic density of states is very close to the free-electron form. Values of the electrical conductivity calculated from Kubo-Greenwood formula are in satisfactory accord with measured data.

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and the pseudopotential method have been used to study the stoichiometric and reduced SnO2 (110) surface. The ionic relaxations are found to be moderate for both the stoichiometric and reduced surfaces, and are very similar to those found in recent DFT-pseudopotential work on TiO2. Removal of neutral oxygen leaves two electrons per oxygen on the surface, which are distributed in channels passing through bridging oxygen sites. The associated electron density can be attributed to reduction of tin from Sn4+ to Sn2+, but only if the charge distribution on Sn2+ is recognized to be highly asymmetric. Reduction of the surface gives rise to a broad distribution of gap states, in qualitative agreement with spectroscopic measurements.

Ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the structure, dynamics and electronic properties of the liquid alloy Ag(1-x)Se(x) at 1350 K and at the three compositions x=0.33, 0.42 and 0.65. The calculations are based on density-functional theory in the local density approximation and on the pseudopotential plane-wave method. The reliability of the simulations is confirmed by detailed comparisons with very recent neutron diffraction results for the partial structure factors and radial distribution functions (RDF) of the stoichiometric liquid Ag2Se. The simulations show a dramatic change of the Se-Se RDF with increasing Se content. This change is due to the formation of Se clusters bound by covalent bonds, the Se-Se bond length being almost the same as in pure c-Se and l-Se. The clusters are predominantly chain-like, but for higher x a large fraction of 3-fold coordinated Se atoms is also found. It is shown that the equilibrium fractions of Se present as isolated atoms and in clusters can be understood on a simple charge-balance model based on an ionic interpretation. The Ag and Se diffusion coefficients both increase with Se content, in spite of the Se clustering. An analysis of the Se-Se bond dynamics reveals surprisingly short bond lifetimes of less than 1 ps. The changes in the density of states with composition arise directly from the formation of Se-Se covalent bonds. Results for the electronic conductivity obtained using the Kubo-Greenwood approximation are in adequate agreement with experiment for l-Ag2Se, but not for the high Se contents. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

A qualitatively different character of dHvA oscillations has been found in a multiband (quasi)two dimensional Fermi liquid with a fixed fermion density n e (canonical ensemble) compared with an open system where the chemical potential μ is kept fixed (grand canonical ensemble). A new fundamental period P f appears when n e is fixed, a damping of the Landau levels is relatively small and a background density of states is negligible. P f is determined by the total density rather than by the partial densities of carriers in different bands: P f =1/(2 n e ϕ) for spin-split Landau levels and P f =1/( n e ϕ) in the case of spin degenerate levels where ϕ is the flux quantum.