Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “first principles”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,675 records · Page 93
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Bandgap engineering of SrZrS 3 chalcogenide perovskite via substitutional doping for photovoltaic applications: a first-principles DFT study

Strontium zirconium sulfide (SrZrS 3 ) has garnered significant attention for photovoltaic (PV) applications due to its excellent optoelectronic properties, high chemical and moisture stability, and non-toxicity. However, the bandgaps of both the α- and β-phases lie outside the optimum ranges for both single-junction solar cells (SJSCs) and tandem solar cells (TSCs), thereby limiting their applications in PV technologies. In this study, we employed hybrid density functional theory to engineer the band gaps of α- and β-SrZrS 3 through substitutional doping. We considered three dopants (Hf, Sn, and Ti) at the Zr site of SrZrS 3 with varying doping concentrations and investigated their effects on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of the materials. We found that Sn and Ti doping effectively lowers the band gaps of both α- and β-SrZrS 3 , whereas Hf doping increases them. For x values up to 0.25, the band gaps of the α-SrZr 1−x Sn x S 3 and α-SrZr 1−x Ti x S 3 are within the optimum range for SJSCs, and those of β-SrZr 1−x Sn x S 3 and β-SrZr 1−x Ti x S 3 lie within the optimum range for Si/perovskite as well as perovskite/perovskite TSCs. The three dopants exhibited significant effects on the optical properties of both α- and β-SrZrS 3 , including the absorption coefficient, energy-loss functions, reflectivity, and refractivity spectra. Thermodynamic stability analysis revealed that for both phases, SrZr 1−x Hf x S 3 can be synthesized via exothermic processes, whereas the formation of SrZr 1−x Ti x S 3 and SrZr1−xSn x S 3 is endothermic and hence, not thermodynamically favorable. Further analysis showed that SrZr 1−x Ti x S 3 in both α- and β-phases are stable under thermodynamic equilibrium conditions, whereas SrZr 1−x Sn x S 3 is prone to dissociation into ternary phases (SrZrS 3 and SrSnS 3 ), especially at higher doping concentrations. These results show that Ti doping is effective in tuning the band gaps of α- and β-SrZrS 3 toward the optimal values for PV applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Investigating trends in actinide covalency and magnetism with 35/37 Cl SSNMR spectroscopy and first-principles calculations

Solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying actinide chemistry but has been significantly limited due to the complex paramagnetism, and radiological hazards presented by these materials. Lanthanide and actinide salts often feature magnetic ordering and can be paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, or antiferromagnetic depending on temperature and electronic structure. Paramagnetic interactions can manifest in SSNMR both as secular spectral shifts and/or couplings as well as contributions from non-secular relaxation. Both effects can be directly measured with NMR and used to extrapolate rich chemical information such as coordination environments, bonding characteristics, local molecular dynamics, and correlation times. Typically, these studies are carried out on high-γ and highly abundant NMR-active isotopes (e.g., 1 H, 6/7 Li, 19 F, 23 Na, etc.) or on enriched rare isotopes (e.g., 2 H and 17 O), which can be expensive. Herein, we present a facile methodology to measure the 35/37 Cl electric-field gradient (EFG) and paramagnetic shift anisotropy (SA) tensor components using static wideline SSNMR measurements of LaCl 3 , NdCl 3 , UCl 3 , and UCl 4 . The static powder spectra were measured with both 35 Cl and 37 Cl SSNMR to increase the fidelity of the extracted tensor parameters. Variable temperature NMR of a select case confirms the Curie–Weiss paramagnetism. Relaxation measurements of both nuclei further corroborate observations owing to the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement and reveal simultaneous quadrupolar relaxation mechanisms. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using Hubbard U corrections to the uranium valence orbitals show excellent agreement with experimental EFG tensor parameters and help describe the bonding characteristics in these lanthanide and actinide systems.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

First-principles insights into chromium-induced oxide phases in NiO

The high-temperature oxidation of Ni–Cr alloys leads to complex oxide scales comprising Ni(Cr)O solid solutions, NiCr 2 O 4 spinel, and Cr 2 O 3 corundum within the NiO matrix. Understanding the atomic-scale mechanisms of Cr segregation and precipitate formation is crucial for enhancing oxidation resistance. Here, we employ density functional theory calculations to investigate Cr behavior on NiO(100), (110), and (111) surfaces and in the bulk. Our results reveal that isolated Cr atoms preferentially segregate to the surfaces, stabilizing Ni(Cr)O solid solutions via strong Cr–O bonding, whereas Cr pairs and clusters favor subsurface migration and bulk aggregation, promoting nucleation of NiCr 2 O 4 and Cr 2 O 3 phases. These findings elucidate a size-dependent segregation mechanism linking Cr coordination environments to oxide phase evolution. This atomic-scale insight informs strategies to tailor oxide microstructures and enhance the high-temperature oxidation resistance of Ni–Cr alloys.

Chromium Segregation↗
DOE OSTI2023

Constraints on hadron resonance gas interactions via first-principles Lattice QCD susceptibilities

We investigate extensions of the Hadron Resonance Gas (HRG) Model beyond the ideal case by incorporating both attractive and repulsive interactions into the model. When considering additional states exceeding those measured with high confidence by the Particle Data Group, attractive corrections to the overall pressure in the HRG model are imposed. On the other hand, we also apply excluded-volume corrections, which ensure there is no overlap of baryons by turning on repulsive (anti)baryon-(anti)baryon interactions. We emphasize the complementary nature of these two extensions and identify combinations of conserved charge susceptibilities that allow us to constrain them separately. In particular, we find interesting ratios of susceptibilities that are sensitive to one correction and not the other. This allows us to constrain the excluded volume and particle spectrum effects separately. Analysis of the available lattice results suggests the presence of both the extra states in the baryonstrangeness sector and the repulsive baryonic interaction, with indications that hyperons have a smaller repulsive core than non-strange baryons. We note that these results are interesting for heavy-ion-collision systems at both the LHC and RHIC.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A first principles study of the lattice stability of diamond-structure semiconductors under intense laser irradiation

Using density-functional linear-response theory, we calculated the phonon dispersion curves for the diamond structural elemental semiconductors of Ge, C and zinc-blende structure semiconductors of GaAs, InSb at different electronic temperatures. We found that the transverse-acoustic phonon frequencies of C and Ge become imaginary as the electron temperature is elevated, which means the lattices of C and Ge become unstable under intense laser irradiation. These results are very similar with previous theoretical and experimental results for Si. For GaAs and InSb, not only can be obtained the similar results for their transverse-acoustic modes, but also their LO-TO splitting gradually decreases as the electronic temperature is increased. It means that the electronic excitation weakens the strength of the ionicity of ionic crystal under intense laser irradiation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Measurement of elastic constants of monoclinic nickel-titanium and validation of first principles calculations

Polycrystalline, monoclinic nickel-titanium specimens were subjected to tensile and compressive deformations while neutron diffraction spectra were recorded in situ. Using these data, orientation-specific and macroscopic Young's moduli are determined from analysis of linear-elastic deformation exhibited by 13 unique orientations of monoclinic lattices and their relationships to each macroscopic stress and strain. Five of 13 elastic compliance constants are also identified: s{sub 11} = 1.15, s{sub 15} = -1.10, s{sub 22} = 1.34, s{sub 33} = 1.06, s{sub 35} = -1.54, all Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} GPa{sup -1}. Through these results, recent atomistic calculations of monoclinic nickel-titanium elastic constants are validated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

First-principles thermodynamic screening approach to photo-catalytic water splitting with co-catalysts

We adapt the computational hydrogen electrode approach to explicitly account for photo-generated charges and use it to computationally screen for viable catalyst/co-catalyst combinations for photo-catalytic water splitting. The hole energy necessary to thermodynamically drive the reaction is employed as descriptor for the screening process. Using this protocol and hybrid-level density-functional theory, we show that water oxidation on bare TiO{sub 2} surfaces is thermodynamically more complex than previously thought. This motivates a screening for suitable co-catalysts for this half-reaction, which we carry out for Au particles down to the non-scalable size regime. We find that almost all small Au clusters studied are better suited for water photo-oxidation than an extended Au(111) surface or bare TiO{sub 2} facets.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Surface structure and hole localization in bismuth vanadate: A first principles study

The monoclinic and tetragonal phases of bismuth vanadate (BiVO{sub 4}) have been found to exhibit significantly different photocatalytic activities for water splitting. To assess a possible surface effect on the phase-dependent behavior, we calculate and compare the geometries and electronic structures of the monoclinic and tetragonal BiVO{sub 4} (001) surfaces using hybrid density functional theory. The relaxed atomic configurations of these two surfaces are found to be nearly identical, while an excess hole shows a relatively stronger tendency to localize at the surface than the bulk in both phases. Possible factors for the phase-dependent photocatalytic activity of BiVO{sub 4} are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Thermal conductivity of bulk and nanowire InAs, AlN, and BeO polymorphs from first principles

We compute the thermal conductivity of the alternative zincblende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) phases of InAs, AlN, and BeO. The bulk thermal conductivity of the ZB phase of BeO is predicted to be even higher than that of its WZ phase (the highest amongst all ceramics used in electronic technology). Our calculations agree well with the available experimental measurements for bulk ZB InAs, WZ AlN, WZ BeO, and WZ and ZB InAs nanowires, and we provide predictions for the remaining cases. The predicted good thermal conductor ZB BeO might have interesting applications in improved heat sinks for high performance semiconductor electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

First-principles prediction of magnetic superatoms in 4d-transition-metal-doped magnesium clusters

We theoretically predict magnetic superatoms in the 4d-transition-metal-doped Mg{sub 8} clusters using a spin-polarized density functional theory method. We demonstrate that TcMg{sub 8} is highly energetically stable in both structure and magnetic states, and identify it as a magnetic superatom with a magnetic moment as large as 5 μ{sub B}. The magnetic TcMg{sub 8} with 23 valence electrons has a configuration of 1S{sup 2}1P{sup 6}1D{sup 10} closed shell and 2S{sup 1}2D{sup 4} open shell, complying with Hund's rule similar to the single atom. We elucidate the formation mechanism of the magnetic TcMg{sub 8} superatom based on the detailed analysis of molecular orbitals, and attribute it to the large exchange interaction and moderate crystal field effect. Finally, we predict that the magnetic TcMg{sub 8} may exhibit semiconductor-like property with spin polarization characteristics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗