No Arabic abstract
Full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange-correlation potential has been applied for the study of structural, elastic and electronic properties of the newly synthesized nitrogen-containing perovskite-like superconductor ZnNNi3. The optimized lattice parameter, independent elastic constants (C11, C12 and C44), bulk modulus B, compressibility betta, and shear modulus G are evaluated. The band structure, total and site- projected l- decomposed DOSs, the shape of the Fermi surface, the Sommerfeld coefficient and the molar Pauli paramagnetic susceptibility for this novel anti-perovskite are obtained and analyzed in comparison with related anti-perovskites ZnCNi3 and MgCNi3
By means of the first-principles calculations, we have studied in details the structural, elastic and electronic properties of the new tetragonal CaBe2Ge2-type 5.2K superconductor SrPt2As2 in comparison with two hypothetical SrPt2As2 polymorphs with ThCr2Si2-type structures which differ by atomic configurations of [Pt2As2] (or [Pt2As2]) blocks. We have found that CaBe2Ge2-type SrPt2As2 is a quite unique system with complicated 2D-3D character of near-Fermi bands, and the intermediate type of the Fermi surface, which consists of electronic pockets having cylinder-like (2D) topology (typical for 122 FeAs phases) together with 3D-like electronic and hole pockets, which are characteristic for ThCr2Si2-like iron-free low-Tc superconductors. Our analysis reveals that against ThCr2Si2-like 122 phases, the other features for CaBe2Ge2-like SrPt2As2 are: (1). The essential differences of contributions of states from [Pt2As2] and [Pt2As2] blocks into near-Fermi region when the conduction is expected to be anisotropic and happening mainly in [Pt2As2] blocks; (2). The formation of the 3D system of strong covalent Pt-As bonds (inside and between of [Pt2As2]/[As2Pt2] blocks) which is responsible for enhanced stability of this polymorph, and (3). the essential charge anisotropy between the adjacent [Pt2As2] and [As2Pt2] blocks. We have predicted also that CaBe2Ge2-like SrPt2As2 is mechanically stable, relatively soft material with high compressibility and will behave in a ductile manner. On the contrary the ThCr2Si2-type SrPt2As2 polymorphs which contain only [Pt2As2] or [As2Pt2] blocks, are less stable, their Fermi surfaces adopt a multi-sheet three-dimensional type - similar to ThCr2Si2-like iron-free 122 phases, and these polymorphs will be ductile materials with high elastic anisotropy.
Very recently (November, 2010, PRB, 82, 180520R) the first 122-like ternary superconductor KxFe2Se2 with enhanced TC ~ 31K has been discovered. This finding has stimulated much activity in search of related materials and triggered the intense studies of their properties. Indeed already in 2010-2011 the superconductivity (TC ~ 27-33K) was also found in the series of new synthesized 122 phases such as CsxFe2Se2, RbxFe2Se2, (TlK)xFeySe2 etc. which have formed today the new family of superconducting iron-based materials without toxic As. Here, using the ab initio FLAPW-GGA method we have predicted for the first time the elastic properties for KFe2Se2 and discussed their interplay with inter-atomic bonding for this system. Our data reveal that the examined phase is relatively soft material. In addition, this system is mechanically stable, adopts considerable elastic anisotropy, and demonstrates brittleness. These conclusions agree with the bonding picture for KFe2Se2, where the inter-atomic bonding is highly anisotropic and includes ionic, covalent and metallic contributions.
Very recently, as an important step in the development of layered Fe-free pnictide-oxide superconductors, the new phase BaTi2Bi2O was discovered which has the highest TC (about 4.6 K) among all related non-doped systems. In this Letter, we report for the first time the electronic bands, Fermi surface topology, total and partial densities of electronic states for BaTi2Bi2O obtained by means of the first-principles FLAPW-GGA calculations. The inter-atomic bonding picture is described as a high-anisotropic mixture of metallic, covalent, and ionic contributions. Besides, the structural and electronic factors, which can be responsible for the increased transition temperature for BaTi2Bi2O (as compared with related pnictide-oxides BaTi2As2O and BaTi2Sb2O), are discussed.
Polycrystalline sample of the new layered superconductor Bi4O4S3 is successfully synthesized by solid-state reaction method by using Bi, S and Bi2O3 powders with one step reaction. The superconducting transition temperature (Tconset=4.5 K), the zero resistance transition temperature (Tc0=4.07 K) and the diamagnetic transition temperature (4.02 K at H=10 Oe) were confirmed by electrical transport and magnetic measurements. Also, our results indicate a typical type II-superconductor behavior. In addition, a large thermoelectric effect was observed with a dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of about 0.03 at 300K, indicating Bi4O4S3 can be a potential thermoelectric material.
This work reports on the elastic and electronic properties of the newly discovered superconductor Th2NiC2 (A .Machado, et al., Supercond. Sci. Technol. 25 (2012) 045010) as obtained within ab initio calculations. We found that Th2NiC2 is mechanically stable and it will behave as a ductile material exhibiting enhanced elastic anisotropy in shear and a rather low hardness Our data reveal that for Th2NiC2 the Fermi level is located in a deep DOS minimum and the experimentally observed increase in TC in the sequence Th2NiC2 -> Th1.8Sc0.2NiC2 may be explained by the growth of N(EF). We also speculate that (i) an increase in the hole concentration will promote exchange splitting of Ni 3d bands, therefore the hole-doped Th2NiC2 should have a certain concentration border, where a phase transition from the superconducting to the magnetic state will be expected, and (ii) an increase in N(EF) (and, probably, in TC) for Th2NiC2-based materials may be also achieved by an alternative way: by electron doping - for example, by partial substitution of V for Th or Cu for Ni, as well as by partial substitution of N for C with the formation of Th-Ni carbonitrides like Th2NiC2-xNx.