K. K. Choudhary

Synthesis and optical properties of silver nanoparticles

The preparation of stable, uniform silver nanoparticles by reduction of silver acetate by ethylene glycol (EG) is reported in the present paper. It is a simple process of recent interest for obtaining silver nanoparticles. The samples were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), which reveals an average particle size (D) of 38 nm. The UV/Vis spectra show that an absorption peak, occurring due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR), exists at 319 nm.

Investigation of transport properties of FeTe compound

Transport properties of FeTe parent compound has been investigated by measurements of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and Seebeck coefficient. The sample was synthesized through a standard solid state reaction route via vacuum encapsulation and characterized by x-ray diffraction, which indicated a tetragonal phase with space group P4/nmm. The parent FeTe compound does not exhibit superconductivity but shows an anomaly in the resistivity measurement at around 67 K, which corresponds to a structural phase transition along with in the vicinity of a magnetic phase transition. In the low temperature regime, Seebeck coefficient, S(T), exhibited an anomalous dip feature and negative throughout the temperature range, indicating electron-like charge carrier conduction mechanism.Transport properties of FeTe parent compound has been investigated by measurements of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and Seebeck coefficient. The sample was synthesized through a standard solid state reaction route via vacuum encapsulation and characterized by x-ray diffraction, which indicated a tetragonal phase with space group P4/nmm. The parent FeTe compound does not exhibit superconductivity but shows an anomaly in the resistivity measurement at around 67 K, which corresponds to a structural phase transition along with in the vicinity of a magnetic phase transition. In the low temperature regime, Seebeck coefficient, S(T), exhibited an anomalous dip feature and negative throughout the temperature range, indicating electron-like charge carrier conduction mechanism.

Pressure induced structural phase transition in metal nitrides: An effective interionic potential calculations

Structural and elastic properties of transition metal nitrides, XN (X = Co, Fe and Cu), are investigated through an effective inter-ionic potential method. The B3(ZnS) type ambient crystal structure of these compounds undergoes to B1(NaCl) type structure with pressure. Structural phase transition pressure in CoN, FeN and CuN was 35, 55 and 35 GPa, respectively, predicated by computing Gibbs’ free energy (G) as a function of pressure and has good agreement with available theoretical results. The elastic properties were also estimated as a function of pressure. It is found that the elastic constants increased linearly with increasing pressure due to stronger hybridization, bonding and covalent properties of constituent elements of a compound.Structural and elastic properties of transition metal nitrides, XN (X = Co, Fe and Cu), are investigated through an effective inter-ionic potential method. The B3(ZnS) type ambient crystal structure of these compounds undergoes to B1(NaCl) type structure with pressure. Structural phase transition pressure in CoN, FeN and CuN was 35, 55 and 35 GPa, respectively, predicated by computing Gibbs’ free energy (G) as a function of pressure and has good agreement with available theoretical results. The elastic properties were also estimated as a function of pressure. It is found that the elastic constants increased linearly with increasing pressure due to stronger hybridization, bonding and covalent properties of constituent elements of a compound.

High-Pressure Structural Phase Transition in MgxCd1-xO Compounds

The high-pressure technique is useful to understand physical properties because the technique can directly control bond length and phase transition. As a general trend, the pressure-induced phase transition causes an increase of coordination number with a drastic change of their physical properties. Here, we attempt to explore the pressure-induced phase transitions from the sixfold-coordinated NaCl structure (B1) to the eightfold-coordinated CsCl structure (B2) in MgxCd1−xO by applying an effective interionic interaction potential, which includes the long range Coulomb, van der Waals (vdW) interaction and the short-range repulsive interaction upto second-neighbor ions within the Hafemeister and Flygare approach. Assuming that both the ions are polarizable, the Slater-Kirkwood variational method is employed to estimate the vdW coefficients for parent compounds. The estimated values of the phase transition pressure (Pt) increase with Mg concentration. The vast volume discontinuity in pressure volume phase diagram identifies the structural phase transition from B1 to B2 structure. The results obtain from the present calculations requires the complete understanding of many physical interactions that are essential to ternary oxides, containing elements with size and chemical mismatch, will lead to a consistent explanation of the documented structural properties.

Study of Structural, Elastic Properties and their Pressure Dependence in IrN Compound

A theoretical study of the elastic behavior in IrN compound using effective interionic interaction potential is carried out. The estimated values of phase transition pressure and the vast volume discontinuity in pressure-volume (PV) phase diagram indicate the structural phase transition from zinc blende (B3) to CsCl structure (B2). C11, C12 and C44 increase nearly linearly with pressure. At phase transition pressure IrN has shown a discontinuity in second order elastic constants, which is in accordance with the first-order character of the phase transition.

High pressure phase transition in group III nitrides compounds

Using an effective interionic interaction potential (EIOP), the pressure induced structural phase transformation from ZnS-type (B3) to NaCl-type (B1) structure in group III Post-Transition Metal Nitrides [TMN; TM=Ga and Tl] were investigated. The long range Coulomb, van der Waals (vdW) interaction and the short-range repulsive interaction upto second-neighbor ions within the Hafemeister and Flygare approach with modified ionic charge are properly incorporated in the EIOP. The vdW coefficients are computed following the Slater-Kirkwood variational method, as both the ions are polarizable. The estimated value of the phase transition pressure (Pt) and the magnitude of the discontinuity in volume at the transition pressure are consistent as compared to the reported data.

Pressure induced structural phase transition in IB transition metal nitrides compounds

Transition metal mononitrides are known as refractory compounds, and they have, relatively, high hardness, brittleness, melting point, and superconducting transition temperature, and they also have interesting optical, electronic, catalytic, and magnetic properties. Evolution of structural properties would be an important step towards realizing the potential technological scenario of this material of class. In the present study, an effective interionic interaction potential (EIOP) is developed to investigate the pressure induced phase transitions in IB transition metal nitrides TMN [TM = Cu, Ag, and Au] compounds. The long range Coulomb, van der Waals (vdW) interaction and the short-range repulsive interaction upto second-neighbor ions within the Hafemeister and Flygare approach with modified ionic charge are properly incorporated in the EIOP. The vdW coefficients are computed following the Slater-Kirkwood variational method, as both the ions are polarizable. The estimated value of the phase transition pressure (Pt) and the magnitude of the discontinuity in volume at the transition pressure are consistent as compared to the reported data.

Interpretation of thermal conductivity in LaFeAsO at low temperatures

Thermal conductivity κ(T) of LaFeAsO is theoretically investigated below the spin density wave (SDW) anomaly. The lattice contribution to the thermal conductivity (κph) is discussed within the Debye-type relaxation rate approximation in terms of the acoustic phonon frequency and relaxation time below 150 K. The theory is formulated when heat transfer is limited by the scattering of phonons from defects, grain boundaries, charge carriers, and phonons. The lattice thermal conductivity dominates in LaFeAsO and is an artifact of strong phonon-impurity and -phonon scattering mechanism. Our result indicates that the maximum contribution comes from phonon scatters and various thermal scattering mechanisms provide a reasonable explanation for maximum appeared in κ (T).