Cesare Franchini

Dirac semimetal and topological phase transitions in A(3)Bi (A = Na, K, Rb)

Three-dimensional (3D) Dirac point, where two Weyl points overlap in momentum space, is usually unstable and hard to realize. Here we show, based on the first-principles calculations and effective model analysis, that crystalline A(3)Bi (A = Na, K, Rb) are Dirac semimetals with bulk 3D Dirac points protected by crystal symmetry. They possess nontrivial Fermi arcs on the surfaces and can be driven into various topologically distinct phases by explicit breaking of symmetries. Giant diamagnetism, linear quantum magnetoresistance, and quantum spin Hall effect will be expected for such compounds.

Direct view at excess electrons in TiO2 rutile and anatase.

A combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy and density functional theory is used to characterize excess electrons in TiO2 rutile and anatase, two prototypical materials with identical chemical composition but different crystal lattices. In rutile, excess electrons can localize at any lattice Ti atom, forming a small polaron, which can easily hop to neighboring sites. In contrast, electrons in anatase prefer a free-carrier state, and can only be trapped near oxygen vacancies or form shallow donor states bound to Nb dopants. The present study conclusively explains the differences between the two polymorphs and indicates that even small structural variations in the crystal lattice can lead to a very different behavior.

Hardness of T-carbon: Density functional theory calculations

We reconsider and interpret the mechanical properties of the recently proposed allotrope of carbon, T-carbon [Sheng et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 155703 (2011)], using density functional theory in combination with different empirical hardness models. In contrast with the early estimation based on Gao et al.s model, which attributes to T-carbon a high Vickers hardness of 61 GPa comparable to that of superhard cubic boron nitride (c-BN), we find that T-carbon is not a superhard material, since its Vickers hardness does not exceed 10 GPa. Besides providing clear evidence for the absence of superhardness in T-carbon, we discuss the physical reasons behind the failure of Gao et al.s and Simunek and Vackars (SV) models in predicting the hardness of T-carbon, residing in their improper treatment of the highly anisotropic distribution of quasi-sp(3)-like C-C hybrids. A possible remedy for the Gao et al. and SV models based on the concept of the superatom is suggested, which indeed yields a Vickers hardness of about 8 GPa.

Dual behavior of excess electrons in rutile TiO2

The behavior of electrons in the conduction band of TiO2 and other transition-metal oxides is key to the many applications of these materials. Experiments seem to produce conflicting results: optical and spin-resonance techniques reveal strongly localized small polarons, while electrical measurements show high mobilities that can only be explained by delocalized free electrons. By means of hybrid functional calculations we resolve this apparent contradiction and show that small polarons can actually coexist with delocalized electrons in the conduction band of TiO2, the former being energetically only slightly more favorable. We also find that small polarons can form complexes with oxygen vacancies and ionized shallow-donor impurities, explaining the rich spectrum of Ti3+ species observed in electron spin resonance experiments. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Charge Trapping at the Step Edges of TiO2 Anatase (101)

A combination of photoemission, atomic force, and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy measurements shows that excess electrons in the TiO2 anatase (101) surface are trapped at step edges. Consequently, steps act as preferred adsorption sites for O2 . In density functional theory calculations electrons localize at clean step edges, this tendency is enhanced by O vacancies and hydroxylation. The results show the importance of defects for the wide-ranging applications of titania.

Anisotropic two-dimensional electron gas at SrTiO3(110)

Significance Although still in its infancy, electronics based on all-oxide materials is a rapidly developing field, and strontium titanate is its key player. For this area to thrive, an atomic-scale control and understanding of the materials’ surfaces and interfaces needs to be achieved. A SrTiO3 crystal with (110) orientation automatically forms an overlayer that is more insulating than the bulk and chemically less reactive, akin to the native SiO2 on conventional wafer. With appropriate doping a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) forms underneath the SrTiO3(110) surface. This (110) 2DEG is very different from (001): The effective mass here depends on the quantum number, and a completely flat band can be realized. Such a flat band bears good prospects for, among others, magnetism and thermoelectricity. Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide heterostructures are attracting considerable attention, as these might one day substitute conventional semiconductors at least for some functionalities. Here we present a minimal setup for such a 2DEG––the SrTiO3(110)-(4 × 1) surface, natively terminated with one monolayer of tetrahedrally coordinated titania. Oxygen vacancies induced by synchrotron radiation migrate underneath this overlayer; this leads to a confining potential and electron doping such that a 2DEG develops. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and theoretical results show that confinement along (110) is strikingly different from the (001) crystal orientation. In particular, the quantized subbands show a surprising “semiheavy” band, in contrast with the analog in the bulk, and a high electronic anisotropy. This anisotropy and even the effective mass of the (110) 2DEG is tunable by doping, offering a high flexibility to engineer the properties of this system.

Rocksalt SnS and SnSe: Native topological crystalline insulators

Unlike time-reversal topological insulators, surface metallic states with Dirac cone dispersion in the recently discovered topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) are protected by crystal symmetry. To date, TCI behaviors have been observed in SnTe and the related alloys Pb1-xSnx Se/Te, which incorporate heavy elements with large spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Here, by combining first-principles and ab initio tight-binding calculations, we report the formation of a TCI in relatively lighter rocksalt SnS and SnSe. This TCI is characterized by an even number of Dirac cones at the high-symmetry (001), (110), and (111) surfaces, which are protected by the reflection symmetry with respect to the ((1) over bar 10) mirror plane. We find that both SnS and SnSe have an intrinsically inverted band structure even without the SOC and the SOC is necessary only to open the bulk band gap. The bulk band gap evolution upon volume expansion reveals a topological transition from an ambient pressure TCI to a topologically trivial insulator. Our results indicate that the SOC alone is not sufficient to drive the topological transition.

Electronic, optical, and mechanical properties of superhard cold-compressed phases of carbon

By means of standard and hybrid density functional theory, we analyzed the electronic, optical, and mechanical properties of the two discovered superhard orthorhombic (W) and monoclinic (M) phases of carbon, synthesized by cold compression. We demonstrated that both phases exhibit a transparent insulating behaviour with indirect band gaps of about 5.4 eV (W) and 4.5 eV (M), and highly isotropic optical spectra, substantially different to those of the related body centered tetragonal C4 phase. The analysis of the elastic constants and Vickers hardness confirmed that these phases are as hard as the second hardest material c-BC2N.

The random phase approximation applied to ice

Standard density functionals without van der Waals interactions yield an unsatisfactory description of ice phases, specifically, high density phases occurring under pressure are too unstable compared to the common low density phase Ih observed at ambient conditions. Although the description is improved by using functionals that include van der Waals interactions, the errors in relative volumes remain sizable. Here we assess the random phase approximation (RPA) for the correlation energy and compare our results to experimental data as well as diffusion Monte Carlo data for ice. The RPA yields a very balanced description for all considered phases, approaching the accuracy of diffusion Monte Carlo in relative energies and volumes. This opens a route towards a concise description of molecular water phases on surfaces and in cavities.

Polaronic Hole Trapping in Doped BaBiO3

The present ab initio study shows that in BaBiO3, Bi3+ sites can trap two holes from the valence band to form Bi5+ cations. The trapping is accompanied by large local lattice distortions; therefore the composite particle consisting of the electronic hole and the local lattice phonon field forms a polaron. Our study clearly shows that even sp elements can trap carriers at lattice sites, if local lattice relaxations are sufficiently large to screen the localized hole. The derived model describes all relevant experimental results, and settles the issue of why hole-doped BaBiO3 remains semiconducting upon moderate hole doping.