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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Thermoelectric Performance and Defect Chemistry in n-Type Zintl KGaSb 4

The rise of high-throughput calculations has accelerated the discovery of promising classes of thermoelectric materials. In prior work, we identified the n-type Zintl pnictides as one such material class. To date, however, a lack of detailed defect calculations and chemical intuition has led the community to investigate p-type Zintls almost exclusively. Here, we investigate the synthesis, thermoelectric properties, and defect structure of the complex Zintl KGaSb 4 . We find that KGaSb 4 is successfully doped n-type with Ba and has the potential for p-type doping with Zn. Our calculations reveal the fundamental defect structure in KGaSb 4 that enables n-type and p-type doping. We find that Ba doped KGaSb4 exhibits high electronic mobility (~50 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ) and near minimum lattice thermal conductivity (<0.5 Wm -1 K -1 ) at 400 °C. Samples doped with 1.5% Ba achieve zT > 0.9 at 400 °C, promising for a previously unstudied material. Here, we also briefly investigate the series of alloys between KGaSb 4 and KAlSb 4 , finding that a full solid solution exists. Altogether our work reinforces motivation for the exploration of n-type Zintl materials, especially in tandem with high-throughput defect calculations to inform selection of effective dopants and systems amenable to n-type transport.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Reaction Heterogeneity in LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 Induced by Surface Layer

Through operando synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of layered transition metal oxide electrodes of composition LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA), we decouple the intrinsic bulk reaction mechanism from surface-induced effects. For identically prepared and cycled electrodes stored in different environments, we demonstrate that the intrinsic bulk reaction for pristine NCA follows solid-solution mechanism, not a two-phase as suggested previously. By combining high resolution powder X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and surface sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we demonstrate that adventitious Li2CO3 forms on the electrode particle surface during exposure to air, through reaction with atmospheric CO2. This surface impedes ionic and electronic transport to the underlying electrode, with progressive erosion of this layer during cycling giving rise to different reaction states in particles with an intact vs an eroded Li2CO3 surface-coating. This reaction heterogeneity, with a bimodal distribution of reaction states, has previously been interpreted as a “two-phase” reaction mechanism for NCA, as an activation step that only occurs during the first cycle. Similar surface layers may impact the reaction mechanism observed in other electrode materials using bulk probes such as operando powder XRD.

Grenier, Antonin↗
DOE OSTI2017

Direct Evidence of Significant Cation Intermixing in Upconverting Core@Shell Nanocrystals: Toward a New Crystallochemical Model

Core@shell design represents an important class of architectures because of its capability to dramatically increase the absolute upconversion quantum yield (UCQY) of upconverting nanocrystals (UCNCs) but also to tune energy migration pathways. A relatively new trend towards the use of very thick optically inert shells affording significantly higher absolute UCQYs raises the question of the crystallographic and chemical characteristics of such nanocrystals (NCs). In this article, local chemical analyses performed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and x-ray total scattering experiments together with pair distribution function (PDF) analyses were used to probe the local chemical and structural characteristics of hexagonal β-NaGd0.78Yb0.2Er0.02F4@NaYF4 core@shell UCNCs. The investigations lead to a new crystallochemical model to describe core@shell UCNCs that considerably digresses from the commonly accepted epitaxial growth concept with sharp interfaces. The results obtained on ultra-small (4.8 ± 0.5 nm) optically active cores (β-NaGd0.78Yb0.2Er0.02F4) surrounded by an optically inert shell (NaYF4) of tunable thickness (roughly 0, 1, 2, and 3.5 nm) clearly indicate the massive dissolution of the starting seeds and the inter-diffusion of the shell element (such as Y) into the Gd/Yb/Er-containing core giving rise to the formation of a non-homogeneous solid solution characterized by concentration gradients and the lack of sharp interfaces. Independently of the inert shell thickness, core/interface/shell architectures were observed for all synthesized UCNCs. The presented results constitute a significant step towards the comprehensive understanding of the “structure - property” relationship of upconverting core@shell architectures, which is of prime interest not only in the development of more efficient structures but also to provide new physical insights at the nanoscale to better explain upconversion (UC) properties alterations.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Designing High-Efficiency Nanostructured Two-Phase Heusler Thermoelectrics

Nanostructured systems formed by two distinct phases are particularly promising for high efficiency thermoelectrics due to the reduction in thermal conductivity afforded by the nanostructured phase. However, the choice of the matrix and nanostructured phases represents a challenging materials discovery problem due to the large compositional space involved. Heusler phase thermoelectrics are particularly promising candidates for nanostructuring since these compounds often possess favorable electronic thermoelectric properties but relatively high thermal conductivity. Here, we have developed a high-throughput screening strategy to predict promising candidates for nanostructuring systems based on two Heusler phases. Our search includes all two-phase systems involving full, half, and inverse Heusler in the Open Quantum Materials Database, in total a search space of ~10 11 possible combinations of two Heusler compounds. To reduce this space, our screening approach starts with a set of known thermoelectrics as matrix phases and screens for all second phase compounds that are stable and form a two-phase equilibrium with the matrix. We compute mixing energies for the resulting combinations of a matrix and a nanostructured phase, find systems that have a moderately large positive mixing energy, and hence show an appropriate balance between tendency for nanostructuring and solubility of the second phase. Furthermore, our screening approach gives 31 pairs, two of which have been explored experimentally (thus validating our screening strategy) and 29 of which represent new predictions of systems awaiting experimental synthesis. In addition, our results show that matrix/nanostructure pairs consisting of distinct crystal structures (e.g., mixing of half Heusler with full Heusler) typically have low mutual solubility, whereas isostructural matrix/nanostructured phase pairs (where both matrix and nanostructure have the same structure type, half Heusler or full Heusler) more often have energetics suitable for forming nanostructures or solid solutions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Surface Structural and Chemical Evolution of Layered LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA) under High Voltage and Elevated Temperature Conditions

This work reports new insights into structural and chemical evolution of surface phases of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA) held at constant high voltages (up to 4.75 V) as well as high temperatures (60 °C) by correlating crystal structure using high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) imaging with chemistry using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). We also followed the Al distribution within individual NCA particles by X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The progression of these phases as a function of distance from the edge shows simultaneous evolution of crystal structures and chemistry from rocksalt to layered, forming a complete solid solution. We have also observed an extended disordered phase with rocksalt (Fm3m) symmetry in which quantitative electron energy loss spectroscopy reveals it to be an oxygen deficient cation disordered phase with chemical characteristics, as determined by EELS, similar to spinel. The formation of these disordered phases with cation and oxygen vacancies has been driven by surface oxygen loss caused by reactions with the electrolyte followed by cation migration from the octahedral 3a M (M = Ni, Co, Al) layer to the octahedral 3b Li layer. These surface rocksalt phases are not fully dense as they contain Al and Li as well as a high concentration of cation and oxygen vacancies. After discharge, Li is detected within these phases indicative that Li transport has occurred through these rocksalt phases. At 60 °C and 4.75 V a very large impedance rise is observed leading to complete cell irreversibility which is caused by significant metal dissolution from the cathode and formation of surface porosity. In the near surface region of some particles, a phase transformation from R3m (O3) to P3m1 (O1) is also observed which has become thermodynamically stable from complete delithiation as well as from local Al surface depletion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Origin of the High Capacity Manganese-Based Oxyfluoride Electrodes for Rechargeable Batteries

In the quest for high energy density rechargeable batteries, conversion-type cathode materials stand out with their appealing multielectron transfer properties. However, they undergo a series of complex phase transitions upon initial cycling as opposed to conventional intercalation-type materials. Within this category, iron-based mixed-anion solid solutions (FeO x F 2-x ) have captured the most attention of the battery community, owing to their high theoretical capacity and moderate cyclability. In the meantime, it was recently demonstrated, via a series of electrochemical cycling experiments, the in situ preparation of manganese-based mixed-anion cathode materials based on decomposition of electrolyte salt LiPF6 in the presence of MnO. To take a step forward, we herein report a routine protocol to prepare 220 mAh g -1 -class composite cathodes. In addition, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the in situ fluorination and locally reversible phase transitions using complementary analytical techniques. The charged phase, with an average Mn oxidation state of ca. +2.8, consists of a highly disordered O-rich cubic-spinel-like core and an F-rich amorphous shell. Upon discharge, lithiation induces further phase transition, forming LiF, MnO, and a lithiated rocksalt-like phase. Furthermore this work, which we also extended to the iron-based system, offers insights into modification of chemical and electronic properties of electrode materials by in situ fluorination.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Metastable Li 1+δ Mn 2 O 4 (0 ≤ δ ≤ 1) Spinel Phases Revealed by in Operando Neutron Diffraction and First-Principles Calculations

Here, we examine the reaction mechanisms driven by the lithiation of Li 1+δ Mn 2 O 4 (0 ≤ δ ≤ 1) spinels via in operando neutron powder diffraction (NPD). New reaction mechanisms are proposed involving solid-solution regions within both cubic and tetragonal spinel phases in addition to a continuous phase transition between them. In operando NPD is an ideal tool to follow the light elements such as lithium and oxygen in cathode materials which are often the key to fully understand their structural evolutions. Here, we report a novel methodology to prepare an extremely thick electrode with ~378 mg·cm –2 loading density suitable for the in operando NPD studies. Enabled by such thick electrode, we find that the metal oxygen M–O (M = Li and Mn) bond lengths in both end members LiMn 2 O 4 and Li 2 Mn 2 O 4 experience pronounced changes larger than dictated by the change in lattice parameters because of the locally formed Jahn–Teller distorted Mn 3+ . First-principles density functional theory calculations confirm these metastable intermediates and further propose atomistic reaction pathways for the phase transition by coupling a global structure search algorithm. In conclusion, these findings redefine the conventional understandings on two-phase reactions of this spinel material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Two-Dimensional CsAg 5 Te 3– x S x Semiconductors: Multi-anion Chalcogenides with Dynamic Disorder and Ultralow Thermal Conductivity

Metal chalcogenides underpin a wide variety of energyrelated applications and are ideal systems for probing lattice dynamics and fundamental transport phenomena. Here we describe the synthesis and transport properties of CsAg 5 TeS 2 and its solid solution CsAg 5 Te 3-x S x (x = 1-2), new semiconductors with tunable band gaps ranging from 0.17 to 0.30 eV. CsAg 5 TeS 2 has a fully ordered two-dimensional structure that includes a group of Ag atoms in a heteroleptic tetrahedral coordination geometry (AgTe 2 S 2 ). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction indicates that the compounds crystallize in the tetragonal space group P 4/ mmm , while pair distribution function (PDF) analysis reveals off-centering at the heteroleptic Ag sites, signifying the lower-symmetry I4/ mcm space group. The underlying disorder as a phonon-blocking mechanism that helps facilitate an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity below 0.40 Wm -1 • K -1 at , ~ 300 K , highlighting the importance of local disorder in thermal transport. In conclusion, density functional theory provides additional insight into the electronic and thermal properties of the materials, which are good candidates for p-type thermoelectrics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Cu-Catalyzed Synthesis of CdZnSe–CdZnS Alloy Quantum Dots with Highly Tunable Emission

Fabrication of quantum dots (QDs) with emission covering a wide spectral region has been persistently intriguing because of their potentials in a range of practical applications such as biological labeling and imaging, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and next-generation displays. We report the synthesis of CdZnSe–CdZnS core–shell alloy QDs through a Cu-catalyzed solid solution alloying strategy starting from CdSe–CdS core–shell QDs. The resulting CdZnSe–CdZnS alloy QDs exhibit emission profiles covering a wide wavelength range of 470–650 nm while maintaining high photoluminescence quantum yields. In addition, high morphological uniformity of the starting CdSe–CdS QDs can be largely retained in the final alloy QDs. We attribute this alloying process to the high mobility nature of Cu cations in Cd-chalcogenide crystals at elevated reaction temperatures, which allows Cu cations to act as transporting agents to transfer a Zn component into the CdSe–CdS QDs while maintaining the particle integrity. We show that this unique alloying strategy is independent of the shape of the starting QDs and can also be applied to the synthesis of CdZnSe–CdZnS nanorods. We anticipate that our study will instigate the synthesis of various high-quality alloy QDs and other alloy nanocrystals beyond what can be achieved currently.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Electronic Structure and Phase Stability of Yb-filled CoSb 3 Skutterudite Thermoelectrics from First Principles

Filling the large voids in the crystal structure of the skutterudite CoSb$_3$ with rattler atoms $R$ provides an avenue for both increasing carrier concentration and disrupting lattice heat transport, leading to impressive thermoelectric performance. While the influence of $R$ on the lattice dynamics of skutterudite materials has been well studied, the phase stability of $R$-filled skutterudite materials and the influence of the presence and ordering of $R$ on the electronic structure remain unclear. Here, focusing on the Yb-filled skutterudite Yb$_x$Co$_4$Sb$_{12}$, we employ first-principles methods to compute the phase stability and electronic structure. Yb-filled CoSb$_3$ exhibits (1) a mild tendency for phase separation into Yb-rich and Yb-poor regions and (2) a strong tendency for chemical decomposition into Co--Sb and Yb--Sb binaries (i.e., CoSb$_3$, CoSb$_2$, and YbSb$_2$). We find that, at reasonable synthesis temperatures, configurational entropy stabilizes single-phase solid solutions with limited Yb solubility, in agreement with experiments. Filling CoSb$_3$ with Yb increases the band gap, enhances the carrier effective masses, and generates new low-energy ``emergent'' conduction band minima, which is distinct from the traditional band convergence picture of aligning the energies of existing band extrema. The explicit presence of $R$ is necessary to achieve the emergent conduction band minima, though the rattler ordering does not strongly influence the electronic structure. The emergent conduction bands are spatially localized in the Yb-rich regions, unlike the delocalized electronic states at the Brillouin zone center that form the unfilled skutterudite band edges.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Phase Stability and Ordering in Rock Salt-Based Thermoelectrics: NaSbX 2 , AgSbX 2 , and Their Alloys with PbX and SnX (X = S, Se, Te)

Using first-principles density functional calculations, we study the phase stability and cation ordering behavior in ABX 2 , PbX-ABX 2 , and SnTe-ABTe 2 (A = Na, Ag; B = Sb; X = S, Se, Te) thermoelectrics that crystallize in rock salt-based lattices. We construct, separately for each ABX 2 system, cluster expansions fitted to T = o K energies of cation-ordered arrangements in order to identify the respective ground-state structures. We calculate the mixing energetics of A/B and {Pb, Sn}/AB cation-disordered solid solutions in ABX 2 and {Pb, Sn}X-ABX 2 systems, respectively, using special quasirandom structures. We find that (i) L11, a rock salt-based superlattice with A 1 B 1 stacking of cations along [111], is often the most favored cation ordering type across ABX 2 systems due to the ability of this superlattice structure to accommodate large size mismatches between A and B; (ii) A/B cation ordering is only weakly preferred over disorder in all ABX 2 systems, by <34 meV/cation, consistent with experimental observations of disordered rock salt phases at high temperatures; (iii) Na-containing ABX 2 systems strongly favor the formation of the ternary compound over the corresponding ground-state mixture of A 2 X + B 2 X 3 binary compounds, while Ag-containing ABX 2 systems do not; (iv) the experimentally reported noncubic phases of NaSbS 2 and AgSbS 2 are in fact distorted cation-ordered rock salt structures; and (v) all {Pb, Sn}X-ABX 2 systems show miscibility gaps in their phase diagrams, and this is partly due to the unfavorable electrostatics of ternary cation mixing relative to Pb or Sn + AB cation phase separation; however, estimation of the miscibility gap temperature using mean-field configurational entropy indicates that all systems except PbTe-AgSbTe 2 will readily mix at relatively low temperatures. Furthermore, our study of the structural properties, alloying behavior, and solubility limits in these promising materials is a crucial step forward in improving their thermoelectric performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

One Structure, Two Elements—LuGe 2 Superconductor vs Ordinary Metallic Conductor LuSn 2 . A Case Study on How Site-Selective Germanium for Tin Atom Substitution Leads to Modulating of the Charge Distribution

The substitution of chemically similar elements in a given crystal structure is an effective way to enhance physical properties, but the understanding on such improvements is usually impeded because the substitutions are random, and the roles of the different atoms cannot be distinguished by crystallographic symmetry. Herein, we provide a detailed crystallographic analysis and property measurements for the continuous solid solutions LuGe x Sn 2–x (0 < x < 2). The results show that there is no apparent change of the global symmetry, with the end-members LuGe 2 and LuSn 2 , as well as the intermediate LuGe x Sn 2–x compositions adopting the ZrSi 2 type structure (space group Cmcm, Pearson index oC12). Yet, the refinements of the crystal structures from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data show that Ge–Sn atom substitutions are not random, but occur preferentially at the zig-zag chain. The patterned distribution of two group 14 elements leads to a significant variation in chemical bonding and charge ordering within the other structural fragment, the 2D square nets, thereby resulting in tuned electron transport. The enhancement is greater than the typical Bloch-Gruneisen model, and more akin to the parallel-resistor model. Magnetization measurements on single crystals show bulk superconductivity in all LuGe x Sn 2–x samples with shielding fractions as high as 90%. Specific heat data confirm the effect to originate from residual metallic tin in the material, indicating that Sn atom substitutions in the 2D square nets cause disruptions of the hypervalent bonding and local anisotropy, which ultimately leads to vanishing of the superconducting state in the end-member LuGe 2 . This work sheds light on how the complexity in chemical interactions by two different carbon congeners leads to changes in the physical properties and how they can be correlated with the induced charge distribution. Furthermore, these studies also provide a general approach to modulation of charge density, and thus, of emerging physical properties in other classes of intermetallic systems based on the main-group elements of groups 13 to 15.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Synthesis of Antiperovskite Solid Electrolytes: Comparing Li 3 SI, Na 3 SI, and Ag 3 SI

Prior calculations have predicted that chalcohalide anti-perovskites may exhibit enhanced ionic mobility compared to oxyhalide anti-perovskites as solid-state electrolytes. Herein, the synthesis of Ag-, Li- and Na-based chalcohalide anti-perovskites is investigated using first-principle calculations and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. These techniques demonstrate that the formation of Ag 3 SI is facilitated by the adoption of a common body centered cubic packing of S 2– and I – in the reactants and products at elevated temperatures, with additional stabilization achieved by the formation of a solid solution of the anions. Further, the absence of these two features appears to hinder the formation of the analogous Li and Na anti-perovskites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Role of Water and Hydroxyl Groups in the Structures of Stetindite and Coffinite, MSiO 4 (M = Ce, U)

Orthosilicates adopt the zircon structure types ( I 4 1 /amd ), consisting of isolated SiO 4 tetrahedra joined by A-site metal cations, such as Ce and U. They are of significant interest in the fields of geochemistry, mineralogy, nuclear waste form development, and material science. Stetindite (CeSiO 4 ) and coffinite (USiO 4 ) can be formed under hydrothermal conditions despite both being thermodynamically metastable. Water has been hypothesized to play a significant role in stabilizing and forming these orthosilicate phases, though little experimental evidence exists. To understand the effects of hydration or hydroxylation on these orthosilicates, in situ high-temperature synchrotron and laboratory-based X-ray diffraction was conducted from 25 to ~850 °C. Stetindite maintains its I 4 1 /amd symmetry with increasing temperature but exhibits a discontinuous expansion along the a- axis during heating, presumably due to the removal of water confined in the [001] channels, which shrink against thermal expansion along the a -axis. Furthermore, additional in situ high-temperature Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy also confirmed the presence of the confined water. Coffinite was also found to expand nonlinearly up to 600 °C and then thermally decompose into a mixture of UO 2 and SiO 2 . A combination of dehydration and dehydroxylation is proposed for explaining the thermal behavior of coffinite synthesized hydrothermally. Additionally, we investigated high-temperature structures of two coffinite-thorite solid solutions, uranothorite (U x Th 1– x SiO 4 ), which displayed complex variations in composition during heating that was attributed to the negative enthalpy of mixing. Lastly, for the first time, the coefficients of thermal expansion of CeSiO 4 , USiO 4 , U 0.46 Th 0.54 SiO 4 , and U 0.9 Th 0.1 SiO 4 were determined to be α V = 14.49 × 10 –6 , 14.29 × 10 –6 , 17.21 × 10 –6 , and 17.23 × 10 –6 °C –1 , respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evolution of Bonding and Magnetism via Changes in Valence Electron Count in CuFe 2– x Co x Ge 2

A series of solid solutions, CuFe 2–x Co x Ge 2 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0), have been synthesized by arc-melting and characterized by powder X-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetic measurements, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and electronic band structure calculations. All compounds crystallize in the CuFe 2 Ge 2 structure type, which can be considered as a three-dimensional framework built of fused MGe6 octahedra and MGe 5 trigonal bipyramids (M = Fe and Co), with channels filled by rows of Cu atoms. As the Co content (x) increases, the unit cell volume decreases in an anisotropic fashion: the b and c lattice parameters decrease while the a parameter increases. The changes in all the parameters are nearly linear, thus following Vegard’s law. CuFe 2 Ge 2 exhibits two successive antiferromagnetic (AFM) orderings, corresponding to the formation of a commensurate AFM structure, followed by an incommensurate AFM structure observed at lower temperatures. Additionally, as the Co content increases, the AFM ordering temperature (TN) gradually decreases, and only one AFM transition is observed for x ≥ 0.2. The magnetic behavior of unsubstituted CuFe 2 Ge 2 was found to be sensitive to the preparation method. The temperature-dependent zero-field 57 Fe Mössbauer spectra reveal two hyperfine split components that evolve in agreement with the two consecutive AFM orderings observed in magnetic measurements. In contrast, the field-dependent spectra obtained for fields ≥ 2 T reveal a parallel arrangement of the moments associated with the two crystallographically unique metal sites. Electronic band structure calculations and chemical bonding analysis reveal a mix of strong M–M antibonding and non-bonding states at the Fermi level, in support of the overall AFM ordering observed in zero field. The substitution of Co for Fe reduces the population of the M–M antibonding states and the overall density of states at the Fermi level, thus suppressing the T N value.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Stability, Crystal Chemistry, and Magnetism of U 2+ x Ni 21– x \B 6 and Nb 3– y Ni 20+ y B 6 and the Role of Uranium in the Formation of the Quaternary U 2– z Nb z Ni 21 B 6 and U δ Nb 3-δ Ni 20 B 6 Systems

In this work, we investigated the U–Ni–B and Nb–Ni–B systems to search for possible new heavy fermion compounds and superconducting materials. The formation, crystal chemistry, and physical properties of U 2 Ni 21 B 6 and Nb 3– y Ni 20+ y B 6 [ternary derivatives of the cubic Cr 23 C 6 -type ( cF 116, $Fm\bar{3}m$)] have been studied; the formation of the hypothetical “U 3 Ni 20 B 6 ” and “Nb 2 Ni 21 B 6 ” has been disproved. U 2 Ni 21 B 6 [ a = 10.6701(2) Å] crystallizes in the ordered W 2 Cr 21 C 6 -type, whereas Nb 3– y Ni 20+ y B 6 [ a = 10.5842(1) Å] adopts the Mg 3 Ni 20 B 6 -type. Ni in U 2 Ni 21 B 6 can be substituted by U, leading to the solid solution U 2+ x Ni 21– x B 6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3); oppositely, Nb in Nb 3 Ni 20 B 6 is partially replaced by Ni, forming the solution Nb 3– y Ni 20+ y B 6 (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.5), none of them reaching the limit corresponding to the hypothetically ordered “U 3 Ni 20 B 6 ” and “Nb 2 Ni 21 B 6 ”. These results prompted us to investigate quaternary compounds U 2– z Nb z Ni 21 B 6 and U δ Nb 3-δ Ni 20 B 6 : strong competition in the occupancy of the 4 a and 8 c sites by U, Nb, and Ni atoms has been observed, with the 4 a site occupied by U/Ni atoms only and the 8 c site filled by U/Nb atoms only. U 2 Ni 21 B 6 , U 2.3 Ni 20.7 B 6 , and Nb 3 Ni 20 B 6 are Pauli paramagnets. Interestingly, Nb 2.5 Ni 20.5 B 6 shows ferromagnetism with T C ≈ 11 K; the Curie–Weiss fit gives an effective magnetic moment of 2.78 μ B /Ni, suggesting that all Ni atoms in the formula unit contribute to the total magnetic moment. The M(H) data at 2 K further corroborate the ferromagnetic behavior with a saturation moment of 10 μ B /fu (≈0.49 μ B /Ni). The magnetic moment of Ni at the 4 a site induces a moment in all of the Ni atoms of the whole unit cell ( 32f and 48h sites), with all atoms ordering ferromagnetically at 11 K. Density functional theory (DFT) shows that the formation of U 2 Ni 21 B 6 and Nb 3 Ni 20 B 6 is energetically preferred. The various electronic states generating ferromagnetism on Nb 2.5 Ni 20.5 B 6 and Pauli paramagnetism on U 2 Ni 21 B 6 and Nb 3 Ni 20 B 6 have been identified.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Large Electrically and Chemically Tunable Rashba–Dresselhaus Effects in Ferroelectric CsGeX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I) Perovskites

Rashba–Dresselhaus effects, which originate from spin–orbit coupling and allow for spin manipulations, are actively explored in materials, following the pursuit of spintronics and quantum computing. However, materials that possess practically significant Rashba–Dresselhaus effects often contain toxic elements and offer little opportunity for the tunability of the effects. We used first-principles simulations to reveal that the recently discovered halide ferroelectrics in the CsGeX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I) family possess large and tunable Rashba-Dresselhaus effects. In particular, they give origin to the spin splitting of up to 171 meV in the valence band of CsGeI 3 . The value is chemically tunable and can decrease by 25% and 70% for CsGeBr 3 and CsGeCl 3 , respectively. Such chemical tunability could result in the engineering of desired values through a solid solution technique. Application of an electric field was found to result in structural changes that could decrease and increase spin splitting, leading to electrical tunability of the effect. In the vicinity of conduction and valence band extrema, the spin textures are mostly of the Rashba type, which is promising for spin-to-charge conversion applications. The spin directions are coupled with the polarization direction, leading to Rashba-ferroelectricity cofunctionality. Furthermore, our work identifies lead-free perovskite halides as excellent candidates for spin-based applications and is likely to stimulate further research in this direction.

Electric fields↗