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DOE OSTI · 1371209

Sampling Polymorphs of Ionic Solids using Random Superlattices

Stevanović, Vladan
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Abstract

Polymorphism offers rich and virtually unexplored space for discovering novel functional materials. To harness this potential approaches capable of both exploring the space of polymorphs and assessing their realizability are needed. Here, one such approach devised for partially ionic solids is presented. The structure prediction part is carried out by performing local density functional theory relaxations on a large set of random supperlattices (RSLs) with atoms distributed randomly over different planes in a way that favors cation-anion coordination. Applying the RSL sampling on MgO, ZnO, and SnO 2 reveals that the resulting probability of occurrence of a given structure offers a measure of its realizability explaining fully the experimentally observed, metastable polymorphs in these three systems.

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75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITYcharge transportcrystal structuresdefectsdensity functional theoryhydrogen and fuel cellsionic liquidsmaterials and chemistry by designopticsphononssolar (fuels)solar (photovoltaic)solid state lightingsuperlatticessynthesis (novel materials)thermoelectric

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Stevanović, Vladan. 2016-02-19. Sampling Polymorphs of Ionic Solids using Random Superlattices. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.116.075503

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