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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Adhesion at the interfaces between BCC metals and {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}

Ab initio calculations of the atomic and electronic structures of Me(111)/{alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) interfaces (Me = V, Cr, Nb, Mo, Ta, W) in the framework of density functional theory are reported. The energies of separation of metal films from oxide surfaces have been calculated. The structural and electronic factors responsible for the strong adhesion of bcc metal films on the oxygen termination of the surface of aluminum oxide have been analyzed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ab-initio study of the magnetism, structure and spin dependent electronic states of Ti substituted MO (M = Mg, Ca, Sr)

The magnetism, structure and spin polarized electronic structure of Ti substituted MO (M = Mg, Ca, Sr) are studied using the ab-initio techniques within the framework of the density functional theory. Appropriately constructed supercell along with the full structural optimization of these cells is used for studying the influence of Ti substitution on the magnetism and electronic structure of these compounds. We find from our calculations that the Ti substituted MO compounds energetically favor magnetically ordered state. The Ti concentration is found to be important in deciding the magnetic order and we have observed antiferromagnetic order for the Ti concentration of 0.25. The Ti substituted MO compounds are thus an interesting class of materials that deserve further studies.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analytic gradients for compressed multistate pair-density functional theory

Photochemical reactions often involve states that are closely coupled due to near degeneracies, for example by proximity to conical intersections. Therefore, a multistate method is used to accurately describe these states; for example, ordinary perturbation theory is replaced by quasidegenerate perturbation theory. Multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT) provides an efficient way to approximate the full dynamical correlation energy of strongly correlated systems, and we recently proposed compressed multistate pair-density functional theory (CMS-PDFT) to treat closely coupled states. In the present paper, we report the implementation of analytic gradients for CMS-PDFT in both OpenMolcas and PySCF, and here we illustrate the use of these gradients by applying the method to the excited states of formaldehyde and phenol.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electronic structure of antifluorite Cu{sub 2}X (X = S, Se, Te) within the modified Becke-Johnson potential plus an on-site Coulomb U

The traditional photon absorbers Cu{sub 2−x}X (X = S, Se, and Te) have regained significant research attention in the search of earth-abundant photovoltaic materials. These moderate- and narrow-gap materials have also been shown to exhibit excellent thermoelectric properties recently. However, semimetallic band structures with inverted band orderings are predicted for antifluorite structure Cu{sub 2}X using density functional theory with the local density approximation or the generalized gradient approximation. We find that semiconducting band structures and normal band orderings can be obtained using the modified Becke-Johnson potential plus an on-site Coulomb U (the mBJ+U approach), which is consistent with our earlier finding for diamond-like Cu-based multinary semiconductors [Y. Zhang, J. Zhang, W. Gao, T. A. Abtew, Y. Wang, P. Zhang, and W. Zhang, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 184706 (2013)]. The trend of the chemical bonding of Cu{sub 2}X is analyzed, which shows that the positions of the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum are strongly affected by the inter-site pd and intra-site sp hybridizations, respectively. The calculated gaps of Cu{sub 2}S and Cu{sub 2}Se still seem to be underestimated compared with experimental results. We also discuss the effects of different structural phases and Cu disordering and deficiency on the bandgaps of these materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

The interaction between cations and anionic groups inducing SHG enhancement in a series of apatite-like crystals: A first-principles study

It is an interesting topic to reveal the origin of the SHG intensity enhancement after substitution from alkali and alkali-earth metal atoms to cadmium in a series of apatite-like borates KSr{sub 4}(BO{sub 3}){sub 3}, Ca{sub 5}(BO{sub 3}){sub 3}F, Cd{sub 5}(BO{sub 3}){sub 3}F. Combined with the first-principles method, SHG-density method and real-space atom-cutting method, the electronic structure, the optical properties and the contribution of respective ion and ion groups have been investigated. Second harmonic generation (SHG) responses are mainly attributed to BO{sub 3} groups with π conjugated configuration and their alignment framework. The contributions of A site are more important in CaBOF and CdBOF compounds than in KSrBO. It is also demonstrated that the strong covalent interactions between the boron–oxygen groups and the cadmium atoms contribute the enhancement of SHG responses after substitution from alkali and alkali-earth metal atoms. - graphical abstract: Combined with the first-principles method, SHG-density method and real-space atom-cutting method, the enhancement of SHG response are attributed to the interaction between cadmium and BO{sub 3} groups. - Highlights: • SHG response on a series of apatite-like borates was studied by a SHG-density method. • SHG responses are mainly attributed to BO{sub 3} groups and their alignment framework. • The contributions of A site are more important in CaBOF and CdBOF than in KSrBO. • Covalent interaction between BO and Cd is responsible for SHG of CdBOF.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electronic transition above room temperature in CaMn{sub 7}O{sub 12} films

We report on the electronic phase transition in CaMn{sub 7}O{sub 12} quadruple perovskite films synthesized by oxide molecular beam epitaxy on SrLaAlO{sub 4} and La{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}Al{sub 0.65}Ta{sub 0.35}O{sub 3} substrates. We use x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy to confirm that the CaMn{sub 7}O{sub 12} phase has been realized. Temperature dependent resistivity measurements reveal a signature of a charge ordering phase transition at ≈425 K, consistent with bulk CaMn{sub 7}O{sub 12}. The transition temperature is found to be relatively invariant to changes in the cation stoichiometry. Density functional theory calculations reveal the changes in atomic and electronic structure induced by the charge ordering transition.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ab initio electronic structure of quasi-two-dimensional materials: A “native” Gaussian–plane wave approach

Ab initio electronic structure calculations of two-dimensional layered structures are typically performed using codes that were developed for three-dimensional structures, which are periodic in all three directions. The introduction of a periodicity in the third direction (perpendicular to the layer) is completely artificial and may lead in some cases to spurious results and to difficulties in treating the action of external fields. In this paper we develop a new approach, which is “native” to quasi-2D materials, making use of basis function that are periodic in the plane, but atomic-like in the perpendicular direction. We show how some of the basic tools of ab initio electronic structure theory — density functional theory, GW approximation and Bethe-Salpeter equation — are implemented in the new basis. We argue that the new approach will be preferable to the conventional one in treating the peculiarities of layered materials, including the long range of the unscreened Coulomb interaction in insulators, and the effects of strain, corrugations, and external fields.

Trevisanutto, Paolo E.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Structural, bonding, and electronic properties of the hexagonal ferroelectric and paraelectric phases of LuMnO{sub 3} compound: A density functional theory study

We have investigated the structural, bonding, and electronic properties of both ferroelectric (FE) and paraelectric (PE) phases of the hexagonal LuMnO{sub 3} compound using calculations based on density functional theory. The structural properties have been determined by employing the generalized gradient approximation with Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof and Wu-Cohen parameterization. The bonding and electronic properties have been treated by recently developed modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential, which succeeded to open a band gap for both PE and FE phases, in agreement with experimental predictions. The Bader’s topological analysis of electronic density showed that the character of the Lu–O axial bonds changes when the crystal exhibits the PE → FE structural transition. This fact is in agreement with experimental findings. The covalent character of the Lu–O bond significantly increases due to orbital hybridization between the Lu 5d{sub z}{sup 2} and O 2p{sub z}-states. This bonding mechanism causes the ferroelectricity in the hexagonal LuMnO{sub 3} compound.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Strain effect on electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of orthorhombic SnSe: A first principles study

Strain effect on thermoelectricity of orthorhombic SnSe is studied using density function theory. The Seebeck coefficients are obtained by solving Boltzmann Transport equation (BTE) with interpolated band energies. As expected from the crystal structure, calculated Seebeck coefficients are highly anisotropic, and agree well with experiment. Changes in the Seebeck coefficients are presented, when strain is applied along b and c direction with strength from -3% to +3%, where influence by band gaps and band dispersions are significant. Moreover, for compressive strains, the sign change of Seebeck coefficients at particular direction suggests that the bipolar transport is possible for SnSe.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structure and energetics of nanotwins in cubic boron nitrides

Recently, nanotwinned cubic boron nitrides (NT c-BN) have demonstrated extraordinary leaps in hardness. However, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that enable nanotwins to give orders of magnitude increases in material hardness is still lacking. Here, using transmission electron microscopy, we report that the defect density of twin boundaries depends on nanotwin thickness, becoming defect-free, and hence more stable, as it decreases below 5 nm. Using ab initio density functional theory calculations, we reveal that the Shockley partials, which may dominate plastic deformation in c-BNs, show a high energetic barrier. We also report that the c-BN twin boundary has an asymmetrically charged electronic structure that would resist migration of the twin boundary under stress. These results provide important insight into possible nanotwin hardening mechanisms in c-BN, as well as how to design these nanostructured materials to reach their full potential in hardness and strength.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Comparison of first principles and semi-empirical models of the structural and electronic properties of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloys

We present and compare three distinct atomistic models—based on first principles and semi-empirical approaches—of the structural and electronic properties of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloys. Density functional theory calculations incorporating Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof (HSE), local density approximation (LDA) and modified Becke–Johnson (mBJ) exchange-correlation functionals are used to perform structural relaxation and electronic structure calculations for a series of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloy supercells. Based on HSE calculations, a semi-empirical valence force field (VFF) potential and sp{sup 3}s{sup ∗} tight-binding (TB) Hamiltonian are parametrised. Comparing the HSE, LDA+mBJ and VFF+TB models, and using the HSE results as a benchmark, we demonstrate that: (1) LDA+mBJ calculations provide an accurate first principles description of the electronic structure at reduced computational cost, (2) the VFF potential is sufficiently accurate to circumvent the requirement to perform first principles structural relaxation, and (3) VFF+TB calculations provide a good quantitative description of the alloy electronic structure in the vicinity of the band edges. Our results also emphasise the importance of Sn-induced band mixing in determining the nature of the conduction band structure of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloys. The theoretical models and benchmark calculations we present inform and enable predictive, computationally efficient and scalable atomistic calculations for disordered alloys and nanostructures. This provides a suitable platform to underpin further theoretical investigations of the properties of this emerging semiconductor alloy.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

The complex metal-rich boride Ti{sub 1+x}Rh{sub 2-x+y}Ir{sub 3-y}B{sub 3} (x=0.68, y=1.06) with a new structure type containing B{sub 4} zigzag fragments: Synthesis, crystal chemistry and theoretical calculations

Polycrystalline samples and single crystals of the new complex boride Ti{sub 1+x}Rh{sub 2-x+y}Ir{sub 3-y}B{sub 3} (x=0.68; y=1.06) were synthesized by arc-melting the elements in a water-cooled copper crucible under an argon atmosphere and characterized by X-Ray diffraction as well as EDX measurements. The crystal structure was refined on the basis of single crystal data. The new phase, which represents a new structure type containing trans zigzag B{sub 4} fragments as well as isolated boron atoms crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbam (Nr. 55) with the lattice parameters a=8.620(1) A, b=14.995(2) A and c=3.234(1) A. First-principles density functional theory calculations using the Vienna ab-initio simulation package (VASP) were performed on an appropriate structural model (using a supercell approach) and the experimental crystallographic data could be reproduced accurately. Based on this model, the density of states and crystal orbital Hamilton population (for bonding analysis) were calculated, using the linear muffin-tin orbital atomic sphere approximation (LMTO-ASA) method. According to these calculations, this metal-rich compound should be metallic, as expected. Furthermore, very strong boron-boron interactions are observed in the trans zigzag B{sub 4} fragment, which induce a clear differentiation of two types of metal-boron contacts with different strength. The observed three-dimensional metal-metal interaction is in good agreement with the predicted metallic behavior. - graphical abstract: The structure of Ti{sub 1.68(2)}Rh{sub 2.38(6)}Ir{sub 1.94(4)} B{sub 3}, a new structure type containing planar trans zigzag B{sub 4} units, is another example which illustrates the tendency of metal-rich borides to form B-B bonds with increasing boron content. Beside the B{sub 4} fragment it exhibits one-dimensional chains of titanium atoms and hold one-dimensional strings of face-sharing empty tetrahedral and square pyramidal clusters (see figure). Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synthesis of a new metal-rich complex boride. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New structure type containing isolated boron and trans zigzag B{sub 4} units. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Crystallographic parameters and bond length well reproduced by theory. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Strong boron-boron and metal-boron interactions responsible for structural stability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Three-dimensional metallic network responsible for metallic behavior.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of molecular dynamics potential for uranium silicide fuels

The use of uranium-silicide (U-Si) in place of uranium dioxide (UO{sub 2}) is one of the promising concepts being proposed to increase the accident tolerance of nuclear fuels for light water reactors. First-principles based density functional theory (DFT) electronic structure calculations may provide the most reliable information. However, it is probably not possible to obtain kinetic information such as amorphization under irradiation directly from DFT simulations due to size and time limitations. Thus, a more feasible way may be to employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Unfortunately, so far no MD potential is available for U-Si to discover the underlying mechanisms. Here, we present our recent progress in developing a U-Si potential. The development is based on the Tersoff type potentials for single element U and Si. The Si potential is taken from the literature and a Tersoff type U potential is developed in this project. With the primary focus on the U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} phase, some other U-Si systems such as U{sub 3}Si are also included as a test of the transferability of the potentials for binary U-Si phases. Based on the potentials for unary U and Si, two sets of parameters for the binary U-Si system are developed using the Tersoff mixing rules and the cross-term fitting, respectively. The cross-term potential is found to give better results on the enthalpy of formation, lattice constants and elastic constants than those produced by the Tersoff mixing potential, with the reference data taken from either experiments or DFT calculations. In particular, the results on the formation enthalpy and lattice constants for the U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} phase and lattice constants for the high temperature U{sub 3}Si (h-U{sub 3}Si) phase generated by the cross-term potential agree well with experimental data. Reasonable agreements are also reached on the elastic constants of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}, on the formation enthalpy for the low temperature U{sub 3}Si (m-U{sub 3}Si) and h-U{sub 3}Si phases, and on the lattice constants of m-U{sub 3}Si phase. All these phases are predicted to be mechanically stable. The unary U potential is also tested for three metallic U phases (α, β, γ). The potential is found capable to predict the cohesive energies well against experimental data for all three phases. It matches reasonably with previous experiments on the lattice constants and elastic constants of αU. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Titanium in silicon: Lattice positions and electronic properties

Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and deep level transient spectroscopy measurements were carried out on Czochralski (Cz)- and float-zone-grown (FZ) Si crystals, which were implanted with Ti ions and annealed in the temperature range 600–900 °C. The electrical behavior of Ti atoms is found to be different in Cz- and FZ-Si annealed at 650 °C, although the Ti SIMS profiles are similar. It is argued that interstitial Ti atoms (Ti{sub i}) in FZ-Si crystals interact with implantation-induced vacancies and take a substitutional position (Ti{sub s}). No energy levels which can be assigned to Ti{sub s} have been detected in this work or in previous experimental literature. However, previous calculations suggest that Ti{sub s} is a deep acceptor in Si. We show from density functional calculations that by taking proper account of interactions within the d-shell of the Ti impurity the electronic structure of Ti{sub s} has no levels in the band gap. The calculations show that Ti{sub i} is more energetically favorable than Ti{sub s} and that Ti{sub i} binds more strongly to the silicon vacancy than interstitial oxygen does, explaining the observed differences between FZ- and Cz-irradiated materials.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Properties of Pt-supported iron oxide ultra-thin films: Similarity of Hubbard-corrected and hybrid density functional theory description

We report a first principles study on the properties of Pt(111)-supported FeO(111) monolayer. We confront results issued from PBE+U and HSE06 approximations, and analyze the impact of the more accurate hybrid description of the electronic structure of the metal/oxide interface on a large variety of calculated characteristics of this system. In particular, we analyze the behavior of its work function and its consequences on the spontaneous charging of adsorbed Au adatoms. We also consider the FeO{sub 2} nano-oxide phase and its peculiar oxygen storage characteristics, responsible for the unusual catalytic properties of FeO{sub x}/Pt system. We show that while the hybrid approximation does indeed substantially improve the electronic characteristics of iron oxide, of individual Au adatoms, or oxygen molecules, its overall impact on the calculated properties of the composed FeO/Pt system is very small. We assign this to the relatively small effect of the hybrid approximation on the band structure alignment. This shows that the less computationally demanding DFT+U approximation remains a fully adequate tool in theoretical studies on this kind of systems. This is particularly important for calculations on realistic systems, with large-size reconstructions induced by the lattice mismatch at the interface between the two materials.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electronic structure factors and the importance of adsorbate effects in chemisorption on surface alloys

The chemisorption energy is an integral aspect of surface chemistry, central to numerous fields such as catalysis, corrosion, and nanotechnology. Electronic-structure-based methods such as the Newns-Anderson model are therefore of great importance in guiding the engineering of material surfaces with optimal properties. However, existing methods are inadequate for interpreting complex, multi-metallic systems. Herein, we introduce a physics-based chemisorption model for alloyed transition metal surfaces employing primarily metal d-band properties that accounts for perturbations in both the substrate and adsorbate electronic states upon interaction. Importantly, we show that adsorbate-induced changes in the adsorption site interact with its chemical environment leading to a second-order response in chemisorption energy with the d-filling of the neighboring atoms. We demonstrate the robustness of the model on a wide range of transition metal alloys with O, N, CH, and Li adsorbates yielding a mean absolute error of 0.13 eV versus density functional theory reference chemisorption energies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Surface structure and hole localization in bismuth vanadate: A first principles study

The monoclinic and tetragonal phases of bismuth vanadate (BiVO{sub 4}) have been found to exhibit significantly different photocatalytic activities for water splitting. To assess a possible surface effect on the phase-dependent behavior, we calculate and compare the geometries and electronic structures of the monoclinic and tetragonal BiVO{sub 4} (001) surfaces using hybrid density functional theory. The relaxed atomic configurations of these two surfaces are found to be nearly identical, while an excess hole shows a relatively stronger tendency to localize at the surface than the bulk in both phases. Possible factors for the phase-dependent photocatalytic activity of BiVO{sub 4} are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Near-infrared radiation absorption properties of covellite (CuS) using first-principles calculations

First-principles density functional theory was used to investigate the electronic structure, optical properties and the origin of the near-infrared (NIR) absorption of covellite (CuS). The calculated lattice constant and optical properties are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental and theoretical findings. The electronic structure reveals that the valence and conduction bands of covellite are determined by the Cu 3d and S 3p states. By analyzing its optical properties, we can fully understand the potential of covellite (CuS) as a NIR absorbing material. Our results show that covellite (CuS) exhibits NIR absorption due to its metal-like plasma oscillation in the NIR range.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗