Z. I. Popov

Theoretical study of the diffusion of lithium in crystalline and amorphous silicon

The effect of the lattice deformation on potential barriers for the motion of a lithium atom in crystalline silicon has been studied through ab initio density functional calculations. A new universal method of calculating the diffusion coefficient of an admixture in amorphous solid media through the activation mechanism has been proposed on the basis of these data. The method is based on the calculation of the statistical distribution of potential barriers for the motion of an admixture atom between minima depending on the position of neighboring atoms. First, the amorphous structure, which is generated by annealing from the crystalline structure with vacancies, has been simulated. Then, the statistical distribution of the potential barriers in the amorphous structure for various local environments of the admixture atoms has been calculated by means of linear regression with the parameters determined for barriers in crystalline silicon subjected to different deformations. The diffusion coefficient of the admixture has been calculated from this distribution by using the Arrhenius formula. This method has been tested by the example of crystalline and amorphous silicon with admixture of lithium atoms. The method demonstrates that the diffusion of lithium in amorphous silicon is much faster than that in crystalline silicon; this relation is confirmed experimentally.

Mobility of vacancies under deformation and their effect on the elastic properties of graphene

The effect of isolated vacancies on the elastic properties of a graphene sheet has been investigated by the ab initio density functional method. An almost inverse linear dependence of the Young’s modulus on the concentration of vacancies has been revealed. The height of potential barriers for the motion of vacancies in various directions has been calculated as a function of various independent applied strains. The velocity of vacancies at various temperatures has been calculated as a function of applied strains using the transition state theory.

A theoretical study of lithium absorption in amorphous and crystalline silicon

Lithium absorption in silicon is studied at the DFT level. By means of the developed method of modeling the structure of amorphous silicon, including with impurities, it is shown that with an increase in the lithium concentration intermediate amorphous LixSiy phases, up to the crystalline Li15Si4 phase, form in crystalline silicon. An increase in the silicon cell volume, as it is filled with lithium, is calculated. A nonlinear dependence of silicon voltage on lithium intercalation is found. The lithium diffusion coefficient in crystalline silicon at a low lithium concentration is calculated and it is demonstrated for amorphous silicon that lithium diffusion is substantially accelerated by the lattice deformation inherent in amorphous silicon. The calculated values can be used in the production of high-capacity lithium ion batteries with a silicon anode.

Analysis of optical and magnetooptical spectra of Fe5Si3 and Fe3Si magnetic silicides using spectral magnetoellipsometry

The optical, magnetooptical, and magnetic properties of polycrystalline (Fe5Si3/SiO2/Si(100)) and epitaxial Fe3Si/Si(111) films are investigated by spectral magnetoellipsometry. The dispersion of the complex refractive index of Fe5Si3 is measured using multiangle spectral ellipsometry in the range of 250–1000 nm. The dispersion of complex Voigt magnetooptical parameters Q is determined for Fe5Si3 and Fe3Si in the range of 1.6–4.9 eV. The spectral dependence of magnetic circular dichroism for both silicides has revealed a series of resonance peaks. The energies of the detected peaks correspond to interband electron transitions for spin-polarized densities of electron states (DOS) calculated from first principles for bulk Fe5Si3 and Fe3Si crystals.

Theoretical study of γ′-Fe4N and ɛ-FexN iron nitrides at pressures up to 500 GPa

The parameters of equations of state of stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric phases of the γ′-Fe4N, ɛ-Fe3N0.75, ɛ-Fe3N, ɛ-Fe3N1.25, and ɛ-Fe3N1.5 iron nitrides in a pressure range up to 500 GPa have been determined using ab initio calculations. The points of the sharp drop and disappearance of the magnetic moment on iron atoms have been found. It has been shown that certain changes in the magnetic moment are accompanied by a change in the volume of a unit cell of the nitrides. The calculated parameters of equations of state demonstrate that the compressibility of both magnetic and nonmagnetic iron nitrides decreases monotonically with an increase in the content of nitrogen.

Optical characteristics of an epitaxial Fe3Si/Si(111) iron silicide film

The dispersion of the relative permittivity ɛ of a 27-nm-thick epitaxial Fe3Si iron silicide film has been measured within the E = 1.16–4.96 eV energy range using the spectroscopic ellipsometry technique. The experimental data are compared to the relative permittivity calculated in the framework of the density functional theory using the GGA-PBE approximation. For Fe3Si, the electronic structure and the electronic density of states (DOS) are calculated. The analysis of the frequencies corresponding to the transitions between the DOS peaks demonstrates qualitative agreement with the measured absorption peaks. The analysis of the single wavelength laser ellipsometry data obtained in the course of the film growth demonstrates that a continuous layer of Fe3Si iron silicide film is formed if the film thickness achieves 5 nm.

Theoretical study of sorption and diffusion of lithium atoms on the surface of crystalline silicon and inside it

The energy of the sorption and diffusion of lithium atoms on the reconstructed (4 × 2) (100) silicon surface in the process of their transport into near-surface layers, as well as inside crystalline silicon, at various lithium concentrations have been investigated within the density functional theory. It has been shown that single lithium atoms easily migrate on the (100) surface and gradually fill the surface states (T3 and L) located in channels between silicon dimers. The diffusion of lithium into near-surface silicon layers is hampered because of high potential barriers of the transition (1.22 eV). The dependences of the binding energy, potential barriers, and diffusion coefficient inside silicon on distances to the nearest lithium atoms have also been examined. It has been shown that an increase in the concentration of lithium to the Li0.5Si composition significantly reduces the transition energy (from 0.90 to 0.36 eV) and strongly increases (by one to three orders of magnitude) the lithium diffusion rate.

Small Size Particles of Different Metal Alloys with Protective Shell for Hydrogen Storage

The work presents both theoretical and experimental studies of Mg–C, Ni–C, Mg–Ni–C composites. The composites were produced in carbon-helium plasma flow. The composites were hydrogenised directly in synthesis process. Out of three composites under study only Mg–Ni–C contains MgH2 hydride. Hydride content is 69.99 at.%, the remaining magnesium is in oxidized state – 30.06 at.%. Photographs of Mg–Ni–C composite particles dehydrogenation were made with a scanning microscope. Ab initio theoretical studies established that diffusion rate of hydrogen atoms in magnesium hydride with Ni impurities is increased substantially in the vicinity of Ni atoms. It can be used for the magnesium hydrogenation process acceleration. Also it was defined that nickel prefers to form many layers covering on magnesium surface by island growth mechanism.

Hydrogenation of the nanopowders that form in a carbon-helium plasma stream during the introduction of Ni and Mg

Composite nanoparticles consisting of magnesium, nickel, and carbon atoms are studied both theoretically and experimentally. The calculations performed in terms of the density functional theory show that the jump frequency of hydrogen atoms in nickel-containing magnesium hydride increases substantially near impurity nickel atoms; as a result, the rate of hydrogen absorption by magnesium also increases. Nickel on the magnesium surface is shown to be absorbed via an island growth mechanism. Composite Mg-C, Ni-C, and Mg-Ni-C powders are produced by plasmachemical synthesis in a carbon-helium plasma stream. Hydrogen is introduced into a chamber during synthesis. It is found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis that, among these three composites, only Mg-Ni-C contains magnesium fixed in the MgH2 compound. The process of such “ultrarapid” hydrogenation of magnesium, which occurs in the time of formation of composite nanoparticles, can be explained by the catalytic action of nickel, which is enhanced by a high temperature. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs demonstrate the dynamics of the dehydrogenation of Mg-Ni-C composite nanoparticles in heating by an electron beam.