Anna Grünebohm

First-principles calculation of the instability leading to giant inverse magnetocaloric effects

The structural and magnetic properties of functional Ni-Mn-Z (Z=Ga, In, Sn) Heusler alloys are studied by first-principles and Monte Carlo methods. The ab initio calculations give a basic understanding of the underlying physics which is associated with the strong competition of ferro- and antiferromagnetic interactions with increasing chemical disorder. The resulting d-electron orbital dependent magnetic ordering is the driving mechanism of magnetostructural instability which is accompanied by a drop of magnetization governing the size of the magnetocaloric effect. The thermodynamic properties are calculated by using the ab initio magnetic exchange coupling constants in finite-temperature Monte Carlo simulations, which are used to accurately reproduce the experimental entropy and adiabatic temperature changes across the magnetostructural transition.

First-principles-based calculation of the electrocaloric effect in BaTiO3: A comparison of direct and indirect methods

We use molecular dynamics simulations for a first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian to calculate two important quantities characterizing the electrocaloric effect in BaTiO3, the adiabatic temperature change ΔT and the isothermal entropy change ΔS, for different electric field strengths. We compare direct and indirect methods to obtain ΔT and ΔS, and we confirm that both methods indeed lead to an identical result provided that the system does not actually undergo a first order phase transition. We also show that a large electrocaloric response is obtained for electric fields beyond the critical field strength for the first order phase transition. Furthermore, our work fills several gaps regarding the application of the first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian approach, which represents a very attractive and powerful method for the quantitative prediction of electrocaloric properties. In particular, we consider the full temperature and field dependence of the calculated specific heat for the indirect calculation of ΔT, and we discuss the importance of maintaining thermal equilibrium during the field ramping when calculating ΔT using the direct method within a molecular dynamics approach.

Positive and negative electrocaloric effect in BaTiO3 in the presence of defect dipoles

The influence of defect dipoles on the electrocaloric effect (ECE) in acceptor doped BaTiO3 is studied by means of lattice-based Monte-Carlo simulations using a Ginzburg-Landau type effective Hamiltonian. Oxygen vacancy-acceptor associates are described by fixed local dipoles with orientation parallel or antiparallel to the external field. By a combination of canonical and microcanonical simulations the ECE is directly evaluated. Our results reveal that in the case of antiparallel defect dipoles the ECE can be positive or negative depending on the dipole density. Moreover, a transition from a negative to positive ECE can be observed when the external field increases. These transitions are due to the delicate interplay of internal and external fields and are explained by the domain structure evolution and related field-induced entropy changes. The results are in good qualitative agreement to those obtained by molecular dynamics simulations employing an ab initio based effective Hamiltonian. Finally, a modified electrocaloric cycle, which makes use of the negative ECE in the presence of defect dipoles, is proposed to enhance the cooling effect.

Electrocaloric effect in BaTiO3 at all three ferroelectric transitions: Anisotropy and inverse caloric effects

We study the electrocaloric (EC) effect in bulk BaTiO

Influence of defects on ferroelectric and electrocaloric properties ofBaTiO3

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First-principles study of the influence of (110)-oriented strain on the ferroelectric properties of rutile TiO2

(BTO) using molecular dynamics simulations of a first principles-based effective Hamiltonian, combined with direct measurements of the adiabatic EC temperature change in BTO single crystals. We examine in particular the dependence of the EC effect on the direction of the applied electric field at all three ferroelectric transitions, and we show that the EC response is strongly anisotropic. Most strikingly, an inverse caloric effect, i.e., a temperature increase under field removal, can be observed at both ferroelectric-ferroelectric transitions for certain orientations of the applied field. Using the generalized Clausius-Clapeyron equation, we show that the inverse effect occurs exactly for those cases where the field orientation favors the higher temperature/higher entropy phase. Our simulations show that temperature changes of around 1 K can in principle be obtained at the tetragonal-orthorhombic transition close to room temperature, even for small applied fields, provided that the applied field is strong enough to drive the system across the first order transition line. Our direct EC measurements for BTO single crystals at the cubic-tetragonal and at the tetragonal-orthorhombic transitions are in good qualitative agreement with our theoretical predictions, and in particular confirm the occurrence of an inverse EC effect at the tetragonal-orthorhombic transition for electric fields applied along the [001] pseudo-cubic direction.

On the rich magnetic phase diagram of (Ni, Co)–Mn–Sn Heusler alloys

We report modifications of the ferroelectric and electrocaloric properties of BaTiO

Ab initio phase diagram of BaTiO3 under epitaxial strain revisited

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Domain Structure in the Tetragonal Phase of BaTiO3– from Bulk to Nanoparticles

by defects. For this purpose, we have combined \textit{ab initio}-based molecular dynamics simulations with a simple model for defects. We find that different kinds of defects modify the ferroelectric transition temperatures and polarization, reduce the thermal hysteresis of the transition and are no obstacle for a large caloric response. For a locally reduced polarization the ferroelectric transition temperature and the adiabatic response are slightly reduced. For polar defects an intriguing picture emerges. The transition temperature is increased by polar defects and the temperature range of the large caloric response is broadened. Even more remarkable, we find an inverse caloric effect in a broad temperature range.

First-principles investigation of incipient ferroelectric trends of rutile TiO2 in bulk and at the (110) surface

We use first principles density functional theory to investigate the softening of polar phonon modes in rutile TiO