Phonon and Thermodynamic Properties in YNi2B2C and LuNi2B2C from First-Principles Study

摘要

The thermodynamic properties of the tetragonal RNi2B2C (R=Y, Lu) are investigated by means of the density-functional theory (DFT) and density-functional perturbation theory (DFPT) within the quasiharmonic approximation (QHA). The phonon dispersion curves and phonon total and partial density of states are studied, and it is found that the phonon branches can be divided into three obvious regions: a low-frequency region (LFR), an intermediate-frequency region (IFR), and a high-frequency region (HFR). The temperature dependence of the various quantities including isothermal bulk modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and heat capacity is obtained, and the variation features of these quantities with temperature are discussed in detail.