Investigation of atomic and electronic structures of MgOFeSe studied by the first-principles calculations

Abstract

In order to assist the search of new superconductors in iron selenide materials by intercalation, we calculate the crystal and electronic structures of MgOFeSe using the first-principles density functional theory. MgOFeSe is isotructural to the parent compound of iron pnictide superconductor LaOFeAs. In LaOFeAs, the anion O$^{2-}$ is located at the center of each LaO tetrahedra. But for MgOFeSe, we find that the crystal structure with the cation Mg$^{2+}$ as the tetrahedral center in the MgO layer is energetically more stable. The low energy band structures around the Fermi surfaces of MgOFeSe are contributed mainly by Fe 3$d$ orbitals. The ground state of MgOFeSe is collinearly antiferromagnetically ordered. The height of Se atoms above the Fe-Fe layer is about 1.38 Å, which is close to the height of As from the Fe-Fe layer in the iron pnictide superconductors with optimal superconducting transition temperatures.