First-principles Calculation Of Structural And Energetic Properties For A_2ti_2o_7 (a = Lu, Er, Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, La)

摘要

A first-principles method was used to investigate the structural and energetic properties for A_2Ti_2O_7 (A = Lu, Er, Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, La), including the formation energies of the cation antisite-pair, the anion Frenkel pair that defines anion-disorder, and the coupled cation antisite-pair/anion-Frenkel. It is proposed that the interaction may have more significant influence on the radiation resistance behavior of titanate pyrochlores, although the (Ti-O_(48f)) interactions are relatively stronger than the interactions. It was found that the defect formation energies are not simple functions of the A-site cation radii. The formation energy of the cation antisite-pair increases continuously as the A-site cation varies from Lu to Gd, and then decreases continuously with the variation of the A-site cation from Gd to La, in excellent agreement with the radiation-resistance trend of the titanate pyrochlores. The band gaps in these pyrochlores were also measured, and the band gap widths changed continuously with cation radius.