No Arabic abstract
Equilibrium crystal structures, electron band dispersions and band gap values of layered GaSe and InSe semiconductors, each being represented by four polytypes, are studied via first-principles calculations within the density functional theory (DFT). A number of practical algorithms to take into account dispersion interactions are tested, from empirical Grimme corrections to many-body dispersion schemes. Due to the utmost technical accuracy achieved in the calculations, nearly degenerate energy-volume curves of different polytypes are resolved, and the conclusions concerning the relative stability of competing polytypes drawn. The predictions are done as for how the equilibrium between different polytypes will be shifted under the effect of hydrostatic pressure. The band structures are inspected under the angle of identifying features specific for different polytypes, and with respect to modifications of the band dispersions brought about by the use of modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) scheme for the exchange-correlation (XC) potential. As another way to improve the predictions of band gaps values, hybrid functional calculations according to the HSE06 scheme are performed for the band structures, and the relation with the mBJ results discussed. Both methods nicely agree with experimental results and with state-of-the-art GW calculations. Some discrepancies are identified in cases of close competition between the direct and indirect gap (e.g., in GaSe); moreover, the accurate placement of bands revealing relatively localized states is slightly different according to mBJ and HSE06 schemes.
Despite similar chemical compositions, LiOsO$_3$ and NaOsO$_3$ exhibit remarkably distinct structural, electronic, magnetic, and spectroscopic properties. At low temperature, LiOsO$_3$ is a polar bad metal with a rhombohedral $R3c$ structure without the presence of long-range magnetic order, whereas NaOsO$_3$ is a $G$-type antiferromagnetic insulator with an orthorhombic $Pnma$ structure. By means of comparative first-principles DFT+$U$ calculations with the inclusion of the spin-orbit coupling, we ($i$) identify the origin of the different structural ($R3c$ vs. $Pnma$) properties using a symmetry-adapted soft mode analysis, ($ii$) provide evidence that all considered exchange-correlation functionals (LDA, PBE, PBEsol, SCAN, and HSE06) and the spin disordered polymorphous descriptions are unsatisfactory to accurately describe the electronic and magnetic properties of both systems simultaneously, and ($iii$) clarify that the distinct electronic (metallic vs. insulating) properties originates mainly from a cooperative steric and magnetic effect. Finally, we find that although at ambient pressure LiOsO$_3$ with a $Pnma$ symmetry and NaOsO$_3$ with a $Rbar{3}c$ symmetry are energetically unfavorable, they do not show soft phonons and therefore are dynamically stable. A pressure-induced structural phase transition from $R3c$ to $Pnma$ for LiOsO$_3$ is predicted, whereas for NaOsO$_3$ no symmetry change is discerned in the considered pressure range.
III-VI post-transition metal chalcogenides (InSe and GaSe) are a new class of layered semiconductors, which feature a strong variation of size and type of their band gaps as a function of number of layers (N). Here, we investigate exfoliated layers of InSe and GaSe ranging from bulk crystals down to monolayer, encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride, using Raman spectroscopy. We present the N-dependence of both intralayer vibrations within each atomic layer, as well as of the interlayer shear and layer breathing modes. A linear chain model can be used to describe the evolution of the peak positions as a function of N, consistent with first principles calculations.
The temperature effect on the Raman scattering efficiency is investigated in $varepsilon$-GaSe and $gamma$-InSe crystals. We found that varying the temperature over a broad range from 5 K to 350 K permits to achieve both the resonant conditions and the antiresonance behaviour in Raman scattering of the studied materials. The resonant conditions of Raman scattering are observed at about 270 K under the 1.96 eV excitation for GaSe due to the energy proximity of the optical band gap. In the case of InSe, the resonant Raman spectra are apparent at about 50 K and 270 K under correspondingly the 2.41 eV and 2.54 eV excitations as a result of the energy proximity of the mbox{so-called} B transition. Interestingly, the observed resonances for both materials are followed by an antiresonance behaviour noticeable at higher temperatures than the detected resonances. The significant variations of phonon-modes intensities can be explained in terms of electron-phonon coupling and quantum interference of contributions from different points of the Brillouin zone
Heterostructures of 2D van der Waals semiconductor materials offer a diverse playground for exploring fundamental physics and potential device applications. In InSe/GaSe heterostructures formed by sequential mechanical exfoliation and stacking of 2D monochalcogenides InSe and GaSe, we observe charge transfer between InSe and GaSe due to the 2D van der Waals interface formation and a strong hysteresis effect in the electron transport through the InSe layer when a gate voltage is applied through the GaSe layer. A gate voltage dependant conductance decay rate is also observed. We relate these observations to the gate voltage dependant dynamical charge transfer between InSe and GaSe layers.
The presence in the graphyne sheets of a variable amount of sp2/sp1 atoms, which can be transformed into sp3-like atoms by covalent binding with one or two fluorine atoms, respectively, allows one to assume the formation of fulorinated graphynes (fluorographynes) with variable F/C stoichiometry. Here, employing DFT band structure calculations, we examine a series of fluorographynes, and the trends in their stability, structural and electronic properties have been discussed as depending on their stoichiometry: from C2F3 (F/C= 1.5) to C4F7 (F/C= 1.75).