No Arabic abstract
Based on the first-principles calculations, we have investigated the geometry, binding properties, density of states and band structures of the novel superconductor LaFe1-xCoxAsO and its parent compounds with the ZrCuSiAs structure. We demonstrate that La-O bond and TM-As (TM=Fe or Co) bond are both strongly covalent, while the LaO and TMAs layers have an almost ionic interaction through the Bader charge analysis. Partial substitution of iron with cobalt modify the Fermi level from a steep edge to a flat slope, which explains why in this system Co doping suppresses the spin density wave (SDW) transition.
The ground state electronic structures of the actinide oxides AO, A2O3 and AO2 (A=U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm, Bk, Cf) are determined from first-principles calculations, using the self-interaction corrected local spin-density (SIC-LSD) approximation. Emphasis is put on the degree of f-electron localization, which for AO2 and A2O3 is found to follow the stoichiometry, namely corresponding to A(4+) ions in the dioxide and A(3+) ions in the sesquioxides. In contrast, the A(2+) ionic configuration is not favorable in the monoxides, which therefore become metallic. The energetics of the oxidation and reduction of the actinide dioxides is discussed, and it is found that the dioxide is the most stable oxide for the actinides from Np onwards. Our study reveals a strong link between preferred oxidation number and degree of localization which is confirmed by comparing to the ground state configurations of the corresponding lanthanide oxides. The ionic nature of the actinide oxides emerges from the fact that only those compounds will form where the calculated ground state valency agrees with the nominal valency expected from a simple charge counting.
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.
Based on First-principles calculation, we have investigated electronic structure of a ZrCuSiAs structured superconductor LaNiPO. The density of states, band structures and Fermi surfaces have been given in detail. Our results indicate that the bonding of the La-O and Ni-P is strongly covalent whereas binding property between the LaO and NiP blocks is mostly ionic. Its also found that four bands are across the Fermi level and the corresponding Fermi surfaces all have a two-dimensional character. In addition, we also give the band decomposed charge density, which suggests that orbital components of Fermi surfaces are more complicated than cuprate superconductors.
GaTa$_4$Se$_8$ belongs to the lacunar spinel family. Its crystal structures is still a puzzle though there have been intensive studies on its novel properties, such as the Mott insulator phase and superconductivity under pressure. In this work, we investigate its phonon spectra through first-principle calculations and proposed it most probably has crystal structure phase transition, which is consistent with several experimental observations. For the prototype lacunar spinel with cubic symmetry of space group $Fbar{4}3m$, its phonon spectra have three soft modes in the whole Brillouin zone, indicating the strong dynamical instability of such crystal structure. In order to find the dynamically stable crystal structure, further calculations indicate two new structures of GaTa$_4$Se$_8$, corresponding to $R3m$ and $Pbar{4}2_{1}m$, verifying that at the ambient pressure, there does exist structure phase transition of GaTa$_4$Se$_8$ from $Fbar{4}3m$ to other structures when the temperature is lowered. We also performed electronic structure calculation for $R3m$ and $Pbar{4}2_{1}m$ structure, showing that $Pbar{4}2_{1}m$ structure GaTa$_4$Se$_8$ is band insulator, and obtained Mott insulator state for $R3m$ structure by DMFT calculation under single-band Hubbard model picture when interaction parameter U is larger than 0.40 eV vs. band width of 0.25 eV. It is reasonable to assume that while lowering the temperature, $Fbar{4}3m$ structure GaTa$_4$Se$_8$ becomes $R3m$ structure GaTa$_4$Se$_8$ first, then $Pbar{4}2_{1}m$ structure GaTa$_4$Se$_8$, because of the symmetry of $Pbar{4}2_{1}m$ is lower than $R3m$ after Jahn-Teller distortion. The structure transition may explain the magnetic susceptibility anomalous at low temperature.
To explore the electronic structure of the first aromatic superconductor, potassium-doped solid picene which has been recently discovered by Mitsuhashi et al with the transition temperatures $T_c=7 - 20$ K, we have obtained a first-principles electronic structure of solid picene as a first step toward the elucidation of the mechanism of the superconductivity. The undoped crystal is found to have four conduction bands, which are characterized in terms of the maximally localized Wannier orbitals. We have revealed how the band structure reflects the stacked arrangement of molecular orbitals for both undoped and doped (K$_3$picene) cases, where the bands are not rigid. The Fermi surface for K$_3$picene is a curious composite of a warped two-dimensional surface and a three-dimensional one.