Lone Pair Effect, Structural Distortions and Potential for Superconductivity in Tl Perovskites

Leslie M. Schoop; Lukas Müchler; Claudia Felser; R. J. Cava

doi:10.1021/ic400381g

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arXiv · 1302.1785

Lone Pair Effect, Structural Distortions and Potential for Superconductivity in Tl Perovskites

Leslie M. Schoop·Lukas Müchler·Claudia Felser·R. J. Cava

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Abstract

Drawing the analogy to BaBiO3, we investigate via ab-initio electronic structure calculations potential new superconductors of the type ATlX3 with A = Rb, Cs and X = F, Cl, and Br, with a particular emphasis on RbTlCl3. Based on chemical reasoning, supported by the calculations, we show that Tl-based perovskites have structural and charge instabilities driven by the lone pair effect, similar to the case of BaBiO3, effectively becoming A2Tl1+Tl3+X6. We find that upon hole doping of RbTlCl3, structures without Tl1+, Tl3+ charge disproportionation become more stable, although the ideal cubic perovskite, often viewed as the best host for superconductivity, should not be the most stable phase in the system. The known superconductor (Sr,K)BiO3 and hole doped RbTlCl3, predicted to be most stable in the same tetragonal structure, display highly analogous calculated electronic band structures.

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Leslie M. Schoop, Lukas Müchler, Claudia Felser, R. J. Cava. 2013-02-07. Lone Pair Effect, Structural Distortions and Potential for Superconductivity in Tl Perovskites. https://doi.org/10.1021/ic400381g

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