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At least 1,531 records · Page 85
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

The Quest for Accurate Liquid Water Properties from First Principles

Developing accurate ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) models that capture both electronic reorganization and nuclear quantum effects associated with hydrogen bonding is key to quantitative understanding of bulk water and its anomalies, as well as its role as a universal solvent. For condensed phase simulations, AIMD has typically relied on the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of Density Functional Theory (DFT) as the underlying model chemistry for the potential energy surface, with nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) sometimes modeled by performing classical molecular dynamics simulations at elevated temperatures. Here we show that the properties of liquid water obtained from the meta-GGA B97M-rV functional, when evaluated using accelerated path integral molecular dynamics simulations, displays accuracy comparable to a computationally expensive dispersion corrected hybrid functional, revPBE0-D 3 . We show that the meta-GGA DFT reproduces bulk water properties including radial distribution functions, self-diffusion coefficients, and infrared (IR) spectra with comparable accuracy of a much more expensive hybrid functional. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that the underlying quality of a good DFT functional requires evaluation with quantum nuclei, and that high temperature simulations are a poor proxy for properly treating nuclear quantum effects.

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

Physics-Informed Deep Neural Networks for Learning Parameters and Constitutive Relationships in Subsurface Flow Problems

In this paper, we present a physics informed deep neural network (DNN) method for estimating parameters and unknown physics (constitutive relationships) in partial differential equation (PDE) models. We use PDEs in addition to measurements to train DNNs to approximate unknown parameters and constitutive relationships as well as states. The proposed approach increases the accuracy of DNN approximations of partially known functions when a limited number of measurements is available and allows for training DNNs when no direct measurements of the functions of interest are available. We employ physics informed DNNs to estimate the unknown space-dependent diffusion coefficient in a linear diffusion equation and an unknown constitutive relationship in a non-linear diffusion equation. For the parameter estimation problem, we assume that partial measurements of the coefficient and states are available and demonstrate that under these conditions, the proposed method is more accurate than state-of-the-art methods. For the non-linear diffusion PDE model with a fully unknown constitutive relationship (i.e., no measurements of constitutive relationship are available), the physics informed DNN method can accurately estimate the non-linear constitutive relationship based on state measurements only. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed method remains accurate in the presence of measurement noise.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Interpretation of inverted photocurrent transients in organic lead halide perovskite solar cells: proof of the field screening by mobile ions and determination of the space charge layer widths

In Methyl Ammonium Lead Iodide (MAPI) perovskite solar cells, screening of the built-in field by mobile ions has been proposed as part of the cause of the large hysteresis observed in the current/voltage scans in many cells. Here, we show that photocurrent transients measured immediately (e.g. 100 μs) after a voltage step can provide direct evidence that this field screening exists. Just after a step to forward bias, the photocurrent transients are reversed in sign (i.e. inverted), and the magnitude of the inverted transients can be used to find an upper bound on the width of the space charge layers adjacent to the electrodes. This in turn provides a lower bound on the mobile charge concentration, which we find to be ≳1 x 10 17 cm -3 . Using a new photocurrent transient experiment, we show that the space charge layer thickness remains approximately constant as a function of bias, as expected for mobile ions in a solid electrolyte. We also discuss additional characteristics of the inverted photocurrent transients that imply either an unusually stable deep trapping, or a photo effect on the mobile ion conductivity.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Coupled electron-nuclear dynamics: Charge migration and charge transfer initiated near a conical intersection

Coupled electron-nuclear dynamics, implemented using the Ehrenfest method, has been used to study charge migration with fixed nuclei, together with charge transfer when nuclei are allowed to move. Simulations were initiated at reference geometries of neutral benzene and 2-phenylethylamine (PEA), and at geometries close to potential energy surface crossings in the cations. Cationic eigenstates, and the so-called sudden approximation, involving removal of an electron from a correlated ground-state wavefunction for the neutral species, were used as initial conditions. Charge migration without coupled nuclear motion could be observed if the Ehrenfest simulation, using the sudden approximation, was started near a conical intersection where the states were both strongly coupled and quasi-degenerate. Further, the main features associated with charge migration were still recognizable when the nuclear motion was allowed to couple. In the benzene radical cation, starting from the reference neutral geometry with the sudden approximation, one could observe sub-femtosecond charge migration with a small amplitude, which results from weak interaction with higher electronic states. However, we were able to engineer large amplitude charge migration, with a period between 10 and 100 fs, corresponding to oscillation of the electronic structure between the quinoid and anti-quinoid cationic electronic configurations, by distorting the geometry along the derivative coupling vector from the D{sub 6h} Jahn-Teller crossing to lower symmetry where the states are not degenerate. When the nuclear motion becomes coupled, the period changes only slightly. In PEA, in an Ehrenfest trajectory starting from the D{sub 2} eigenstate and reference geometry, a partial charge transfer occurs after about 12 fs near the first crossing between D{sub 1}, D{sub 2} (N{sup +}-Phenyl, N-Phenyl{sup +}). If the Ehrenfest propagation is started near this point, using the sudden approximation without coupled nuclear motion, one observes an oscillation of the spin density – charge migration – between the N atom and the phenyl ring with a period of 4 fs. When the nuclear motion becomes coupled, this oscillation persists in a damped form, followed by an effective charge transfer after 30 fs.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics in the limit of vanishing self-consistent field optimization

We present an efficient general approach to first principles molecular dynamics simulations based on extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [A. M. N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123004 (2008)] in the limit of vanishing self-consistent field optimization. The reduction of the optimization requirement reduces the computational cost to a minimum, but without causing any significant loss of accuracy or long-term energy drift. The optimization-free first principles molecular dynamics requires only one single diagonalization per time step, but is still able to provide trajectories at the same level of accuracy as “exact,” fully converged, Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations. The optimization-free limit of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics therefore represents an ideal starting point for robust and efficient first principles quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Geometrical deuteron stripping revisited

We investigate the reality of the idea of geometrical deuteron stripping originally envisioned by Serber. By taking into account of realistic deuteron wavefunction, nuclear density, and nucleon stopping mean free path, we are able to estimate inclusive deuteron stripping cross section for deuteron energy up to before pion production. Our semiclassical model contains only one global parameter constant for all nuclei which can be approximated by Woods-Saxon or any other spherically symmetric density distribution.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Gaussian approximations for stochastic systems with delay: Chemical Langevin equation and application to a Brusselator system

We present a heuristic derivation of Gaussian approximations for stochastic chemical reaction systems with distributed delay. In particular, we derive the corresponding chemical Langevin equation. Due to the non-Markovian character of the underlying dynamics, these equations are integro-differential equations, and the noise in the Gaussian approximation is coloured. Following on from the chemical Langevin equation, a further reduction leads to the linear-noise approximation. We apply the formalism to a delay variant of the celebrated Brusselator model, and show how it can be used to characterise noise-driven quasi-cycles, as well as noise-triggered spiking. We find surprisingly intricate dependence of the typical frequency of quasi-cycles on the delay period.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Uniform electron gases. II. The generalized local density approximation in one dimension

We introduce a generalization (gLDA) of the traditional Local Density Approximation (LDA) within density functional theory. The gLDA uses both the one-electron Seitz radius r{sub s} and a two-electron hole curvature parameter η at each point in space. The gLDA reduces to the LDA when applied to the infinite homogeneous electron gas but, unlike the LDA, it is also exact for finite uniform electron gases on spheres. We present an explicit gLDA functional for the correlation energy of electrons that are confined to a one-dimensional space and compare its accuracy with LDA, second- and third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation energies, and exact calculations for a variety of inhomogeneous systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electronic states of lithium passivated germanium nanowires: An ab-initio study

A study of the electronic and structural properties of germanium nanowires (GeNWs) was performed using the ab-initio Density Functional Theory within the generalized gradient approximation where electron-ion interactions are described by ultrasoft pseudopotentials. To study the effects of the lithium in the surface of the GeNWs we compare the electronic band structures of Hydrogen passivated GeNWs with those of partial and totally Li passivated GeNWs. The nanowires were constructed in the [001], [111] and [110] directions, using the supercell model to create different wire diameters. The results show that in the case of partial Li passivation there are localized orbitals near the valence band maximum, which would create a p-doped-kind of state. The total Li passivation created metallic states for all the wires.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Luminescence thermometry below room temperature via up-conversion emission of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Yb{sup 3+},Er{sup 3+} nanophosphors

This study explores potential of Er{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} doped phosphors for up-conversion luminescence thermometry in the temperature range from 10 K to 300 K. Yttrium oxide nanopowder doped with trivalent ytterbium and erbium ions (Y{sub 1.97}Yb{sub 0.02}Er{sub 0.01}O{sub 3}) was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis as an example. The intensity ratios of up-conversion emissions from thermally coupled {sup 2}H{sub 11/2} and {sup 4}S{sub 3/2} levels of Er{sup 3+} show strong temperature dependence (in the range 150 K–300 K) with much higher relative sensitivity than those reported for thermometry above room temperature with Er{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} based up-conversion materials. The maximal value of relative sensitivity is 5.28%K{sup −1} at 150 K, with temperature resolution ranging from 0.81 K to 0.06 K. In addition, the intensity ratios of emission from thermally non-coupled Er{sup 3+} levels ({sup 2}H{sub 9/2} and {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}) and from {sup 4}S{sub 3/2} also show temperature dependence that can be approximated with an exponential function. With these up-conversion emission ratios, it is possible measure temperature in the range of 10 K to 300 K with excellent sensitivity and resolution.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Phonon anomalies and superconductivity in the Heusler compound YPd₂Sn

We have studied the structural and electronic properties of YPd₂Sn in the Heusler structure using a generalized gradient approximation of the density functional theory and the ab initio pseudopotential method. The electronic results indicate that the density of states at the Fermi level is primarily derived from Pd d states, which hybridize with Y d and Sn p states. Using our structural and electronic results, phonons and electron-phonon interactions have been studied by employing a linear response approach based on the density functional theory. Phonon anomalies have been observed for transverse acoustic branches along the [110] direction. This anomalous dispersion is merely a consequence of the strong coupling. By integrating the Eliashberg spectral function, the average electron-phonon coupling parameter is found to be λ=0.99. Using this value, the superconducting critical temperature is calculated to be 4.12 K, in good accordance with the recent experimental value of 4.7 K.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thickness dependent quantum oscillations of transport properties in topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films

The dependences of the electrical conductivity, the Hall coefficient, and the Seebeck coefficient on the layer thickness d (d = 18−600 nm) of p-type topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films grown by thermal evaporation in vacuum on glass substrates were obtained at room temperature. In the thickness range of d = 18–100 nm, sustained oscillations with a substantial amplitude were revealed. The observed oscillations are well approximated by a harmonic function with a period Δd = (9.5 ± 0.5) nm. At d > 100 nm, the transport coefficients practically do not change as d is increased. The oscillations of the kinetic properties are attributed to the quantum size effects due to the hole confinement in the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} quantum wells. The results of the theoretical calculations of Δd within the framework of a model of an infinitely deep potential well are in good agreement with the experimental results. It is suggested that the substantial amplitude of the oscillations and their sustained character as a function of d are connected with the topologically protected gapless surface states of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and are inherent to topological insulators.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Semiclassical limits of quantum partition functions on infinite graphs

We prove that if H denotes the operator corresponding to the canonical Dirichlet form on a possibly locally infinite weighted graph (X, b, m), and if v : X → ℝ is such that H + v/ħ is well-defined as a form sum for all ħ > 0, then the quantum partition function tr(e{sup −βħ(H+v/ħ)}) converges to ∑{sub x∈X}e{sup −βv(x)} as ħ → 0 +, for all β > 0, regardless of the fact whether e{sup −βv} is a priori summable or not. This fact can be interpreted as a semiclassical limit, and it allows geometric Weyl-type convergence results. We also prove natural generalizations of this semiclassical limit to a large class of covariant Schrödinger operators that act on sections in Hermitian vector bundle over (X, m, b), a result that particularly applies to magnetic Schrödinger operators that are defined on (X, m, b)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Phonon scattering limited performance of monolayer MoS{sub 2} and WSe{sub 2} n-MOSFET

In this paper we show the effect of electron-phonon scattering on the performance of monolayer (1L) MoS{sub 2} and WSe{sub 2} channel based n-MOSFETs. Electronic properties of the channel materials are evaluated using the local density approximation (LDA) in density functional theory (DFT). For phonon dispersion we employ the small displacement / frozen phonon calculations in DFT. Thereafter using the non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism, we study the effect of electron-phonon scattering and the contribution of various phonon modes on the performance of such devices. It is found that the performance of the WSe{sub 2} device is less impacted by phonon scattering, showing a ballisticity of 83% for 1L-WSe{sub 2} FET for channel length of 10 nm. Though 1L-MoS{sub 2} FET of similar dimension shows a lesser ballisticity of 75%. Also in the presence of scattering there exist a a 21–36% increase in the intrinsic delay time (τ) and a 10–18% reduction in peak transconductance (g{sub m}) for WSe{sub 2} and MoS{sub 2} devices respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

One-electron reduced density matrices of strongly correlated harmonium atoms

Explicit asymptotic expressions are derived for the reduced one-electron density matrices (the 1-matrices) of strongly correlated two- and three-electron harmonium atoms in the ground and first excited states. These expressions, which are valid at the limit of small confinement strength ω, yield electron densities and kinetic energies in agreement with the published values. In addition, they reveal the ω{sup 5/6} asymptotic scaling of the exchange components of the electron-electron repulsion energies that differs from the ω{sup 2/3} scaling of their Coulomb and correlation counterparts. The natural orbitals of the totally symmetric ground state of the two-electron harmonium atom are found to possess collective occupancies that follow a mixed power/Gaussian dependence on the angular momentum in variance with the simple power-law prediction of Hill’s asymptotics. Providing rigorous constraints on energies as functionals of 1-matrices, these results are expected to facilitate development of approximate implementations of the density matrix functional theory and ensure their proper description of strongly correlated systems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in chalcopyrite type compounds ZnMX{sub 2} (M=Sc, V, Mn, Fe; X = P, As)

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of ZnMX{sub 2} (M=Sc, V, Mn and Fe; X= As and P) compounds in body centred tetragonal chalcopyrite structure have been investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) within the local spin density approximation (LSDA). The spin-polarized electronic band structure and density of states of all these compounds show that the spin-up electrons have metallic and the spin-down electrons have a semiconducting gap and the magnetic moment mainly originates from the strong spin polarization of 3d states of transition metal (M=Sc, V, Mn and Fe) atoms and p-like states of anion X (P and As) atoms.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Semiclassical initial value representation for the quantum propagator in the Heisenberg interaction representation

One of the challenges facing on-the-fly ab initio semiclassical time evolution is the large expense needed to converge the computation. In this paper, we suggest that a significant saving in computational effort may be achieved by employing a semiclassical initial value representation (SCIVR) of the quantum propagator based on the Heisenberg interaction representation. We formulate and test numerically a modification and simplification of the previous semiclassical interaction representation of Shao and Makri [J. Chem. Phys. 113, 3681 (2000)]. The formulation is based on the wavefunction form of the semiclassical propagation instead of the operator form, and so is simpler and cheaper to implement. The semiclassical interaction representation has the advantage that the phase and prefactor vary relatively slowly as compared to the “standard” SCIVR methods. This improves its convergence properties significantly. Using a one-dimensional model system, the approximation is compared with Herman-Kluk’s frozen Gaussian and Heller’s thawed Gaussian approximations. The convergence properties of the interaction representation approach are shown to be favorable and indicate that the interaction representation is a viable way of incorporating on-the-fly force field information within a semiclassical framework.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Lattice parameters and electronic structure of BeMgZnO quaternary solid solutions: Experiment and theory

Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x−y}O semiconductor solid solutions are attractive for UV optoelectronics and electronic devices owing to their wide bandgap and capability of lattice-matching to ZnO. In this work, a combined experimental and theoretical study of lattice parameters, bandgaps, and underlying electronic properties, such as changes in band edge wavefunctions in Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x−y}O thin films, is carried out. Theoretical ab initio calculations predicting structural and electronic properties for the whole compositional range of materials are compared with experimental measurements from samples grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on (0001) sapphire substrates. The measured a and c lattice parameters for the quaternary alloys Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x} with x = 0−0.19 and y = 0–0.52 are within 1%–2% of those calculated using generalized gradient approximation to the density functional theory. Additionally, composition independent ternary BeZnO and MgZnO bowing parameters were determined for a and c lattice parameters and the bandgap. The electronic properties were calculated using exchange tuned Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional. The measured optical bandgaps of the quaternary alloys are in good agreement with those predicted by the theory. Strong localization of band edge wavefunctions near oxygen atoms for BeMgZnO alloy in comparison to the bulk ZnO is consistent with large Be-related bandgap bowing of BeZnO and BeMgZnO (6.94 eV). The results in aggregate show that precise control over lattice parameters by tuning the quaternary composition would allow strain control in Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x−y}O/ZnO heterostructures with possibility to achieve both compressive and tensile strain, where the latter supports formation of two-dimensional electron gas at the interface.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗