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At least 235 records · Page 13

Phase diagram of magnetic shape memory alloy Ni 50 Mn $50–x$ In $x$ , 0 < $x$ , 25 from first principles, via spin cluster expansion and phonon vibrational entropies

The metamagnetic shape memory Heusler alloy Ni 50 Mn $50–x$ In $x$ exhibits a rich phase diagram featuring competing magnetic states, coupled magnetic–structural phase transitions, and strong compositional sensitivity. Existing first-principles approaches struggletocapturetheintertwinedchemical, magnetic, andvibrationaleffectsinthesealloys, necessitating a more integrated modeling framework. We develop a spin cluster expansion (spin-CE) framework augmented by a quasi-harmonic phonon model to capture both configurational (chemical and magnetic) and vibrational contributions to the free energy of Ni 50 Mn $50–x$ In $x$ over the full compositional range 0 ≤ x ≤25. The spin-CE includes both chemical clusters and composition-dependent Ising spin interactions, with parameters fit to a first-principles density functional theory (DFT) dataset. Using this approach, we predict the complete magnetostructural phase diagram and transformation temperatures of Ni 50 Mn $50–x$ In $x$ across the composition space. We find that vibrational entropy alone is insufficient to reproduce the martensitic transformation in the magnetic shape memory alloy regime, highlighting the essential role of magnetism. Incorporating both magnetic and vibrational contributions allows us to reproduce all experimentally known phases, including the disappearance of the stable martensite phase at a critical In concentration and the Curie temperature of the austenite phase. The method also captures the transition with increasing In in martensite from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic order and predicts re-entrant ferromagnetism, though the latter occurs at higher In content than reported experimentally. We discuss possible sources of this discrepancy and highlight the broader applicability of the method to other magnetostructurally complex materials, where it may offer mechanistic insight and predictive design capabilities.

Cluster expansion↗

Surface localized magnetism in transition metal doped alumina

Alumina is a structural ceramic that finds many uses in a broad range of applications. It is widely employed in the aerospace and biomedical sectors due to its stability at high temperatures and in harsh chemical environments. Here, we show that magnetism can be induced at alumina surfaces by doping with 3d transition metals. We analyze the electronic structure, spin magnetic moments, and spin density of α-Al 2 O 3 as a function of both dopant species (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) and depth using first principles calculations. Our results show that all dopants, with the exception of Sc, produce magnetic moments that are concentrated to the surface of alumina with varying degrees of delocalization. It is seen that all of the dopants are at least meta-stable on the surface and must overcome an energy barrier of 0.19–1.14 eV in order to diffuse from the surface into the bulk. As a result of judiciously doping with select 3$\textit{d}$ transition metals the surface of alumina can be made magnetic. This could lead to novel applications in data storage, catalysis, and biomedical engineering through an added surface functionality.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ab Initio Methods for L-edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

The theoretical prediction of X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) has become common- place in electronic structure theory. The ability to better model and understand L-edge spectra is of great interest in the study of transition metal complexes and a wide variety of solid state materials. However, until recently few rst-principles works have mod- eled L-edge XAS due to the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling in the 2p orbitals which splits the observed peaks into multiple groups of features. Therefore, a proper description of spin-orbit coupling is vital for the successful prediction of L-edge spectra. A number of new approaches that incorporate spin-orbit coupling have recently made advances in the computation of L-edge spectra. In this review, we describe recent work in computational L-edge XAS and how these methods may continue to improve in the future. Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches are considered, with special attention to not only the computational cost of the level of theory, but also the various approaches that can be used to compute the absorption spectra with a large number of high energy excited states.

Kasper, Joseph M.↗

Magnetic order and fluctuations in the quasi-two-dimensional planar magnet Sr( Co 1-x Ni x ) 2 As 2

We use neutron scattering to investigate spin excitations in Sr ( Co 1 - x Ni x ) 2 As 2 , which has a c -axis incommensurate helical structure of the two-dimensional (2D) in-plane ferromagnetic (FM) ordered layers for 0.013 ≤ x ≤ 0.25 . By comparing the wave vector and energy dependent spin excitations in helical ordered Sr ( Co 0.9 Ni 0.1 ) 2 As 2 and paramagnetic SrCo 2 As 2 , we find that Ni doping, while increasing lattice disorder in Sr ( Co 1 - x Ni x ) 2 As 2 , enhances quasi-2D FM spin fluctuations. However, our band structure calculations within the combined density functional theory and dynamic mean field theory ( DFT + DMFT ) failed to generate a correct incommensurate wave vector for the observed helical order from nested Fermi surfaces. Furthermore, since transport measurements reveal increased in-plane and c -axis electrical resistivity with increasing Ni doping and associated lattice disorder, we conclude that the helical magnetic order in Sr ( Co 1 - x Ni x ) 2 As 2 may arise from a quantum order-by-disorder mechanism through the itinerant electron mediated Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Thermodynamics Modeling for Actinide Monocarbides and Mononitrides from First Principles

The high-temperature thermodynamical properties for the actinide monocarbides and mononitrides ThC, ThN, UC, UN, PuC, and PuN are calculated from first-principles electronic-structure theory. The electronic structure is modeled with density-functional theory (DFT) and is fully relativistic, including the spin-orbit interaction. Furthermore, the DFT is extended to account for orbital–orbital interactions, by means of a parameter-free orbital-polarization (OP) technique, that has proven to be essential for the 5f electrons in plutonium. Strong anharmonicity and the temperature dependence of the lattice vibrations are captured with the self-consistent ab initio lattice dynamics (SCAILD) method. The calculated free energies and heat capacities are compared to published results from quasi-harmonic (QH) theory, and experiments, where available. For the uranium and plutonium compounds, we make use of CALPHAD assessments to help evaluate the theory. Generally, our anharmonic relativistic approach compares well with both CALPHAD and experiments. For the thorium compounds, our theory is in good accord with QH modeling of the free energy at lower temperatures but for the heat capacity the comparison is less favorable.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Predicting Mössbauer Parameters of Nonheme Diiron Complexes with Density Functional Theory

Mössbauer spectroscopy provides significant insights into the electronic structure and environment of the metal centers. In this work, we investigate the electronic structures of a set of nonheme diiron complexes by evaluating two key parameters pertaining to Mössbauer spectroscopy, namely, the isomer shift (δ) and quadrupole splitting (|ΔE Q |), using different levels of density functional theory (DFT). The diiron systems investigated here span diverse oxidation states, bridging motifs, and spin coupling patterns, which present a challenging case for theoretical predictions. We demonstrate that the combination of B97-D3/def2-TZVP is an efficient approach in modeling both the δ and |ΔEQ| values with high accuracy for the representative nonheme diiron complexes. We also show that δ is accurately predicted irrespective of the choice of approximate density functional while the |ΔE Q | is sensitive to the level of theory employed. Further investigation shows that the present methodology assessed using synthetic nonheme diiron complexes could be extended to nonheme diiron enzyme active sites, featuring both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic coupling between the iron centers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Excited-State Dynamics during Primary C–I Homolysis in Acetyl Iodide Revealed by Ultrafast Core-Level Spectroscopy

In typical carbonyl-containing molecules, bond dissociation events follow initial excitation to $nπ_{C=O}$$^*$ states. However, in acetyl iodide, the iodine atom gives rise to electronic states with mixed $nπ_{C=O}$$^*$ and $nπ_{C–I}$$^*$ character, leading to complex excited-state dynamics, ultimately resulting in dissociation. Using ultrafast extreme ultraviolet (XUV) transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations, we present an investigation of the primary photodissociation dynamics of acetyl iodide via time-resolved spectroscopy of core-to-valence transitions of the I atom after 266 nm excitation. The probed I 4d-to-valence transitions show features that evolve on sub-100-fs time scales, reporting on excited-state wavepacket evolution during dissociation. These features subsequently evolve to yield spectral signatures corresponding to free iodine atoms in their spin–orbit ground and excited states with a branching ratio of 1.1:1 following dissociation of the C–I bond. Calculations of the valence excitation spectrum via equation-of-motion coupled cluster with single and double substitutions (EOM-CCSD) show that initial excited states are of spin-mixed character. From the initially pumped spin-mixed state, we use a combination of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT)-driven nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics and EOM-CCSD calculations of the N$_{4,5}$ edge to reveal a sharp inflection point in the transient XUV signal that corresponds to rapid C–I homolysis. Here, by examining the molecular orbitals involved in the core-level excitations at and around this inflection point, we are able to piece together a detailed picture of C–I bond photolysis in which d → σ* transitions give way to d → p excitations as the bond dissociates. We also report theoretical predictions of short-lived, weak 4d → 5d transitions in acetyl iodide, validated by weak bleaching in the experimental transient XUV spectra. This joint experimental–theoretical effort has thus unraveled the detailed electronic structure and dynamics of a strongly spin–orbit coupled system.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Odd-Parity Magnetism Driven by Antiferromagnetic Exchange

Realizing odd-parity, time-reversal-preserving, nonrelativistic spin splitting is a central goal for spintronics applications. We propose a group-theory-based microscopic framework to induce odd-parity spin splitting from coplanar antiferromagnetic (AFM) states without spin-orbit coupling (SOC). We develop phenomenological models for 421 conventional period-doubling AFM systems in nonsymmorphic space groups and construct minimal microscopic models for 119 of these. We find that these AFM states can attain three possible competing ground states. These ground states all break symmetries in addition to those broken by the usual AFM order. Specifically, they give rise to either odd-parity spin-splitting, nematic order, or scalar odd-parity order related to multiferroicity. Our microscopic theories reveal that the odd-parity spin-splitting energy scale is generically large and further reveal that the scalar odd-parity order gives a nonzero Berry curvature dipole without SOC. We identify 67 materials in the Magndata database for which our theory applies. We provide density-functional theory (DFT) calculations on Fe-based materials that reveal an ℎ-wave spin splitting consistent with our symmetry arguments and apply our microscopic model to determine the nonrelativistic Edelstein response for CeNiAsO.

Antiferromagnets↗

How Well Does Kohn–Sham Regularizer Work for Weakly Correlated Systems?

Kohn–Sham regularizer (KSR) is a differentiable machine learning approach to finding the exchange-correlation functional in Kohn–Sham density functional theory that works for strongly correlated systems. Here we test KSR for a weak correlation. We propose spin-adapted KSR (sKSR) with trainable local, semilocal, and nonlocal approximations found by minimizing density and total energy loss. We assess the atoms-to-molecules generalizability by training on one-dimensional (1D) H, He, Li, Be, and Be 2+ and testing on 1D hydrogen chains, LiH, BeH 2 , and helium hydride complexes. The generalization error from our semilocal approximation is comparable to other differentiable approaches, but our nonlocal functional outperforms any existing machine learning functionals, predicting ground-state energies of test systems with a mean absolute error of 2.7 mH.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Self-consistent quasiparticle G W and hybrid functional calculations for Al/InAs/Al heterojunctions: Band offset and spin-orbit coupling effects

The electronic structure of surfaces and interfaces plays a key role in the properties of quantum devices. Here, we study the electronic structure of realistic Al/InAs/Al heterojunctions using a combination of density functional theory with hybrid functionals and state-of-the-art quasiparticle G W (QSGW) calculations. We find a good agreement between QSGW calculations and hybrid functional calculations, which themselves compare favorably well with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. Our paper confirms the need for well-controlled quality of the interfaces to obtain the needed properties of InAs/Al heterojunctions. A detailed analysis of the effects of spin-orbit coupling on the spin splitting of the electronic states shows a linear scaling in k space, related to the two-dimensional nature of some interface states. The good agreement by QSGW and hybrid functional calculations opens the door towards trustable use of an effective approximation to QSGW for studying very large heterojunctions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Gapless spinons and a field-induced soliton gap in the hyperhoneycomb Cu oxalate framework compound [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3

Here, we report a detailed study of the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility of single crystals of a spin-liquid candidate: the hyperhoneycomb Cu oxalate framework compound [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 . The specific heat shows no anomaly associated with a magnetic transition at low temperatures down to T ~ 180 mK in zero magnetic field. We observe a large linear-in-T contribution to the specific heat γT, γ = 98 (1) mJ / mol K 2 , at low temperatures, indicative of the presence of fermionic excitations despite the Mott insulating state. The low-T specific heat is strongly suppressed by applied magnetic fields H, which induce an energy gap, Δ(H), in the spin-excitation spectrum. We use the four-component relativistic density-functional theory (DFT) to calculate the magnetic interactions, including the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya antisymmetric exchange, which causes an effective staggered field acting on one copper sublattice. The magnitude and field dependence of the field-induced gap, Δ (H) ∝ H 2/3 , are accurately predicted by the soliton mass calculated from the sine-Gordon model of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains with all parameters determined by our DFT calculations. Thus our experiment and calculations are entirely consistent with a model of [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 in which anisotropic magnetic exchange interactions due to Jahn-Teller distortion cause one copper sublattice to dimerize, leaving a second sublattice of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic chains. We also show that this model quantitatively accounts for the measured temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. Thus [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 is a canonical example of a one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet and not a resonating-valence-bond quantum spin liquid, as previously proposed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spin-polarized imaging of strongly interacting fermions in the ferrimagnetic state of the Weyl candidate CeBi

CeBi has an intricate magnetic phase diagram whose fully polarized state has recently been suggested as a Weyl semimetal, though the role of f states in promoting strong interactions has remained elusive. Here we focus on the less-studied but also time-reversal symmetry-breaking ferrimagnetic phase of CeBi, where our density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict additional Weyl nodes near the Fermi level E F . We use spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to image the surface ferrimagnetic order on the itinerant Bi p states, indicating their orbital hybridization with localized Ce f states. We observe suppression of this spin-polarized signature at E F , coincident with a Fano line shape in the conductance spectra, suggesting the Bi p states partially Kondo screen the f magnetic moments, and this p – f hybridization causes strong Fermi-level band renormalization. Furthermore, the p-band flattening is supported by our quasiparticle interference measurements, which also show band splitting in agreement with DFT, painting a consistent picture of a strongly interacting magnetic Weyl semimetal.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

6⁢𝐻-perovskite dimer lattice with antiferromagnetic interactions: Ba 3⁢ Zn 1−𝑥⁢ Ca 𝑥 ⁢Ru 2 ⁢O 9

Here, we investigate the magnetic behavior of the 6⁢𝐻-perovskite dimer lattice Ba 3 ⁢Zn 1−𝑥 ⁢Ca 𝑥 ⁢Ru 2 ⁢O 9 using analytical theory, density functional theory, inelastic neutron scattering, and modeling of historical magnetization and neutron-scattering data. A dimer mean-field theory built upon classical Luttinger–Tisza analysis generates a phase diagram revealing a transition from a nonmagnetic singlet to a finite-moment ground state as interdimer couplings increase. A (generalized) linear spin-wave theory captures multiplet mixing, excitation gap closing, and fluctuation-induced moment suppression. Density-functional-theory calculations on selected compounds, together with neutron spectroscopy of dilute Ba 3 ⁢Zn⁢(Ru 1−𝑥 ⁢Sb 𝑥 ) 2 ⁢O 9 , confirm the exchange hierarchy, enabling quantification of previously published experiments within this framework. Our results identify three mechanisms for magnetic moment suppression—quantum fluctuations, ligand hybridization, and nonmagnetic-singlet/magnetic-multiplet mixing.

Pajerowski, Daniel M. [Oak Ridge National Laborato↗

Haldane topological spin-1 chains in a planar metal-organic framework

Haldane topological materials contain unique antiferromagnetic chains with symmetry-protected energy gaps. Such materials have potential applications in spintronics and future quantum computers. Haldane topological solids typically consist of spin-1 chains embedded in extended three-dimensional (3D) crystal structures. Here, we demonstrate that [Ni(μ-4,4'-bipyridine)(μ-oxalate)] n (NiBO) instead adopts a two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic framework (MOF) structure of Ni 2+ spin-1 chains weakly linked by 4,4'-bipyridine. NiBO exhibits Haldane topological properties with a gap between the singlet ground state and the triplet excited state. The latter is split by weak axial and rhombic anisotropies. Several experimental probes, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature powder neutron diffraction (VT-PND), VT inelastic neutron scattering (VT-INS), DC susceptibility and specific heat measurements, high-field electron spin resonance, and unbiased quantum Monte Carlo simulations, provide a detailed, comprehensive characterization of NiBO. Vibrational (also known as phonon) properties of NiBO have been probed by INS and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, indicating the absence of phonons near magnetic excitations in NiBO, suppressing spin-phonon coupling. The work here demonstrates that NiBO is indeed a rare 2D-MOF Haldane topological material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Identifying the Molecular Edge Termination of Exfoliated Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets with Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Plane-Wave DFT Calculations

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS), the isoelectronic analog to graphene, have received interest over the past decade due to their high thermal oxidative resistance, high bandgap, catalytic activity, and low cost. The functional groups that terminate boron and nitrogen zigzag and/or armchair edges directly affect their chemical, physical, and electronic properties. However, an understanding of the molecular edge termination present in h-BNNS is lacking. Here, high-resolution magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy, and plane-wave density-functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to determine the molecular edge termination in exfoliated h-BNNS. 1 H → 11 B cross-polarization MAS (CPMAS) SSNMR spectra of h-BNNS revealed multiple hydroxyl/oxygen coordinated boron edge sites that were not detectable in direct excitation experiments. A dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 1 H → 15 N CPMAS spectrum of h-BNNS displayed four distinct 15 N resonances while a 2D 1 H{ 14 N} dipolar-HMQC spectrum acquired with fast MAS revealed three distinct 14 N environments. Plane-wave DFT calculations were used to construct model edge structures and predict the corresponding 11 B, 14 N and 15 N SSNMR spectra. Comparison of the experimental and predicted SSNMR spectra confirms that zigzag and armchair edges with both amine and boron hydroxide/oxide termination are present. The detailed characterization of h-BNNS molecular edge termination will prove useful for many material science applications. The techniques outlined here should also be applicable to understand the molecular edge terminations in other 2D materials

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Symmetry breaking and self-interaction correction in the chromium atom and dimer

Density functional approximations to the exchange–correlation energy can often identify strongly correlated systems and estimate their energetics through energy-minimizing symmetry-breaking. In particular, the binding energy curve of the strongly correlated chromium dimer is described qualitatively by the local spin density approximation (LSDA) and almost quantitatively by the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA), where the symmetry breaking is antiferromagnetic for both. Here, we show that a full Perdew–Zunger self-interaction-correction (SIC) to LSDA seems to go too far by creating an unphysical symmetry-broken state, with effectively zero magnetic moment but non-zero spin density on each atom, which lies ~4 eV below the antiferromagnetic solution. A similar symmetry-breaking, observed in the atom, better corresponds to the 3d↑↑4s↑3d↓↓4s↓ configuration than to the standard 3d↑↑↑↑↑4s↑. For this new solution, the total energy of the dimer at its observed bond length is higher than that of the separated atoms. In conclusion, these results can be regarded as qualitative evidence that the SIC needs to be scaled down in many-electron regions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spin-Charge-Lattice Coupling across the Charge Density Wave Transition in a Kagome Lattice Antiferromagnet

Understanding spin and lattice excitations in a metallic magnetic ordered system forms the basis to unveil the magnetic and lattice exchange couplings and their interactions with itinerant electrons. Kagome lattice antiferromagnet FeGe is interesting because it displays a rare charge density wave (CDW) deep inside the antiferromagnetic ordered phase that interacts with the magnetic order. Here, we use neutron scattering to study the evolution of spin and lattice excitations across the CDW transition 𝑇 CDW in FeGe. While spin excitations below ∼100 meV can be well described by spin waves of a spin-1 Heisenberg Hamiltonian, spin excitations at higher energies are centered around the Brillouin zone boundary and extend up to ∼180 meV consistent with quasiparticle excitations across spin-polarized electron-hole Fermi surfaces. Furthermore, 𝑐-axis spin wave dispersion and Fe-Ge optical phonon modes show a clear hardening below 𝑇 CDW due to spin-charge-lattice coupling but with no evidence of a phonon Kohn anomaly. By comparing our experimental results with density functional theory calculations in absolute units, we conclude that FeGe is a Hund’s metal in the intermediate correlated regime where magnetism has contributions from both itinerant and localized electrons arising from spin polarized electronic bands near the Fermi level.

charge density waves↗

Vertical detachment energies of ammonia cluster anions using self-interaction-corrected methods

Systems with weakly bound extra electrons impose great challenges to semilocal density functional approximations (DFAs), which suffer from self-interaction errors. Small ammonia clusters are one such example of weakly bound anions where the extra electron is weakly bound. We applied two self-interaction correction (SIC) schemes, viz., the well-known Perdew–Zunger and the recently developed locally scaled SIC (LSIC) with the local spin density approximation (LSDA), Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation (GGA), and the SCAN meta-GGA functionals to calculate the vertical detachment energies (VDEs) of small ammonia cluster anions (NH3)n–. Our results show that the LSIC significantly reduces the errors in calculations of VDE with LSDA and PBE-GGA functionals leading to better agreement with the reference values calculated with coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples [CCSD(T)]. Accurate prediction of VDE as an absolute of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) is challenging for DFAs. Our results show that VDEs estimated from the negative of HOMO eigenvalues with the LSIC-LSDA and Perdew–Zunger SIC-PBE are within 11 meV of the reference CCSD(T) results. Here, the LSIC method performs consistently well for the VDE estimates, from both the total energy differences and the absolute HOMO eigenvalues.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗