A theoretical study of pressure-induced phase transitions and electronic band structure of anti-A-sesquioxide type γ-Be_3N_2

摘要

Structural parameters and electronic band structure of anti-A-sesquioxide (aAs) type γ-Be_3N_2 are presented following the first-principles linear combination of atomic orbitals method within the framework of a posteriori density-functional theory implemented in the CRYSTAL code. Pressure-induced phase transitions among the four polymorphs α, β, cubic-γ and aAs-γ of Be_3N_2 are examined. Enthalpy-pressure curves do not show the possibility of pressure-induced structural phase transition to the cubic-γ phase. However, α → aAs-γ and β → aAs-γ structural phase transitions are observed at 139 GPa and 93 GPa, respectively. Band structure calculations predict that aAs-γ Be_3N_2 is an indirect semiconductor with 4.73 eV bandgap at L point. Variation of bandgap with pressure and deformation potentials are studied for the α, β and aAs-γ polymorphs. Pressure-dependent band structure calculations reveal that, within the low-pressure limit, bandgaps of β and aAs-γ increase with pressure unlike α-Be_3N_2.