arXiv subjects

Daniel Errandonea

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel Errandonea.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Pressure-induced phase transitions and electronic properties Cd2V2O7

We report a density-functional theory study of the structural and electronic properties of Cd2V2O7 under high-pressure conditions. The calculations have been performed by using first-principle calculations with the CRYSTAL program. The occurrence of two structural phase transitions, at 0.3 and 10.9 GPa, is proposed. The crystal structure of the different high-pressure phases is reported. Interestingly a cubic pyrochlore-type structure is predicted to stabilize under compression. The two phase transitions involve substantial changes in the coordination polyhedra of Cd and V. We have also determined the compressibility and room-temperature equation of state of the three polymorphs of Cd2V2O7. According to our systematic electronic band-structure calculations, at ambient conditions Cd2V2O7 is an indirect wide band-gap material with a band-gap energy of 4.39 eV. In addition, the pressure dependence of the band gap has been determined. In particular, we have found that after the second phase transition the band gap decreases abruptly to a value of 2.56 eV.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Experimental and theoretical study of SbPO4 under compression

SbPO4 is a complex monoclinic layered material characterized by a strong activity of the non-bonding lone electron pair (LEP) of Sb. The strong cation LEP leads to the formation of layers piled up along the a-axis and linked by weak Sb-O electrostatic interactions. In fact, Sb is 4-fold coordination with O similar to what occurs with the P-O coordination, despite the large difference of ionic radii and electronegativity between both elements. Here we report a joint experimental and theoretical study of the structural and vibrational properties of SbPO4 at high pressure. We show that SbPO4 is not only one of the most compressible phosphates but also one of the most compressible compounds of the ABO4 family. Moreover, it has a considerable anisotropic compression behavior with the largest compression occurring along a direction close to a-axis and governed by the compression of the LEP and the weak inter-layer Sb-O bonds. The strong compression along the a-axis leads to a subtle modification of the monoclinic crystal structure above 3 GPa leading from a 2D to a 3D material. Moreover, the onset of a reversible pressure-induced phase transition is observed above 9 GPa, which is completed above 20 GPa. We propose that the high-pressure phase is a triclinic distortion of the original monoclinic phase. The understanding of the compression mechanism of SbPO4 can aid in understanding the importance of the ion intercalation and catalytic properties of this layered compound.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

PrVO$_4$ under High Pressure: Effects on Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties

In pursue of a systematic characterization of rare-earth vanadates under compression, in this work we present a multifaceted study of the phase behavior of zircon-type orthovanadate PrVO$_4$ under high pressure conditions, up until 24 GPa. We have found that PrVO$_4$ undergoes a zircon to monazite transition at around 6 GPa, confirming previous results found by Raman experiments. A second transition takes place above 14 GPa, to a BaWO$_4$-I--type structure. The zircon to monazite structural sequence is an irreversible first-order transition, accompanied by a volume collapse of about 9.6%. Monazite phase is thus a metastable polymorph of PrVO$_4$. The monazite-BaWO$_4$-II transition is found to be reversible instead and occurs with a similar volume change. Here we report and discuss the axial and bulk compressibility of all phases. We also compare our results with those for other rare-earth orthovanadates. Finally, by means of optical-absorption experiments and resistivity measurements we determined the effect of pressure on the electronic properties of PrVO$_4$. We found that the zircon-monazite transition produces a collapse of the band gap and an abrupt decrease of the resistivity. The physical reasons for this behavior are discussed. Density-functional-theory simulations support our conclusions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

GdBO$_3$ and YBO$_3$ Nanocrystals under Compression

High-pressure X-ray diffraction studies on nanocrystals of the pseudo-vaterite-type borates GdBO$_3$ and YBO$_3$ are herein reported up to 17.4(2) and 13.4(2) GPa respectively. The subsequent determination of the room-temperature pressure-volume equations of state is presented and discussed in the context of contemporary publications which contradict the findings of this work. In particular, the isothermal bulk moduli of GdBO$_3$ and YBO$_3$ are found to be 170(13) and 163(13) GPa respectively, almost 50% smaller than recent findings. Our experimental results provide an accurate revision of the high-pressure compressibility behaviour of GdBO$_3$ and YBO$_3$ which is consistent with the known systematics in isomorphic borates and previous ab initio calculations. Finally we discuss how experimental/analytical errors could have led to unreliable conclusions reported elsewhere.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Colossal barocaloric effects in the complex hydride Li$_{2}$B$_{12}$H$_{12}$

Traditional refrigeration technologies based on compression cycles of greenhouse gases pose serious threats to the environment and cannot be downscaled to electronic device dimensions. Solid-state cooling exploits the thermal response of caloric materials to external fields and represents a promising alternative to current refrigeration methods. However, most of the caloric materials known to date present relatively small adiabatic temperature changes ($|ΔT| \sim 1$ K) and/or limiting irreversibility issues resulting from significant phase-transition hysteresis. Here, we predict the existence of colossal barocaloric effects (isothermal entropy changes of $|ΔS| \sim 100$ JK$^{-1}$kg$^{-1}$) in the energy material Li$_{2}$B$_{12}$H$_{12}$ by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we estimate $|ΔS| = 387$ JK$^{-1}$kg$^{-1}$ and $|ΔT| = 26$ K for an applied pressure of $P = 0.4$ GPa at $T = 475$ K. The disclosed colossal barocaloric effects are originated by an order-disorder phase transformation that exhibits a fair degree of reversibility and involves coexisting Li$^{+}$ diffusion and (BH)$_{12}^{-2}$ reorientational motion at high temperatures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Is the normal to superionic transformation occurring in type-II fast-ion conductors a real thermodynamic phase transition?

Fedorov has written a Comment on our recent paper J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 1267 (2018) in which he suggests that the transformation from a normal ($α$) to a superionic ($β$) state occurring in type-II fast-ion conductors (e.g., CaF$_{2}$ and Li-based superionic materials) cannot be regarded as a phase transition in a rigorous thermodynamic sense. Fedorov's arguments for such a criticism can be summarized as follows: (1) the available heat capacity data for the $α\to β$ transformation do not reproduce the expected behaviour for a thermodynamic phase transition, (2) there is not evidence for molar volume discontinuity during the superionic $α\to β$ transformation, and (3) the $α\to β$ transformation is symmetry preserving. Here, we demonstrate either by reproducing experimental data published by other authors or by explaining some simple solid-state arguments that the statements put forward by Fedorov are incorrect and do not correspond to reality. In fact, based on mounting experimental evidence, the normal to superionic phase transformation occurring in type-II fast-ion conductors can be rigorously considered, and should be referred to, as a phase transition. Notwithstanding, it remains less obvious to establish with generality which is the order of the $α\to β$ phase transition.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

High pressure crystal structures of orthovanadates and their properties

Pressure-induced phase transitions in orthovanadates have led to interesting physical phenomena. The observed transitions usually involve large volume collapses and drastic changes in the electronic and vibrational properties of the materials. In some cases, the phase transitions implicate coordination changes in vanadium, which has important consequences in the physical properties of vanadates. In this Perspective, we explore the current knowledge of the behavior of MVO4 vanadates under compression. In particular, we summarize studies of the structural, vibrational, and electronic properties and a few illustrative examples of high-pressure research in the compounds of interest are discussed. A systematic understanding of the high-pressure behavior of MVO4 compounds is presented, putting the emphasis on results that could be relevant for practical applications. Recent advances and future challenges in the study of orthovanadates under extreme pressure will be reviewed, along with conclusions that could have consequences for the studies of related oxides. Some ideas on topics that may lead to exciting breakthroughs in the near future will be presented too.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Characterization and decomposition of the natural van der Waals heterostructure SnSb2Te4 under compression

This joint experimental and theoretical study of the structural, vibrational and electrical properties of rhombohedral SnSb2Te4 at high pressure unveils the internal mechanisms of its compression. The equation of state and the internal polyhedral compressibility, the symmetry and behavior of the Raman-active modes and the electrical behavior of this topological insulator under compression have been discussed and compared with the parent binary alpha-Sb2Te3 and SnTe compounds and with related ternary compounds. Our X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements together with theoretical calculations, which include topological electron density and electronic localization function analysis, evidence the presence of an isostructural phase transition around 2 GPa and a Fermi resonance around 3.5 GPa. The Raman spectrum of SnSb2Te4 shows vibrational modes that are forbidden in rocksalt SnTe; thus showing a novel way to experimentally observe the forbidden vibrational modes of some compounds. Additionally, since SnSb2Te4 is an incipient metal, like its parent binary compounds, we establish a new criterion to identify the recently proposed metavalent bonding in complex materials when different bond characters coexist in the system. Finally, SnSb2Te4 exhibits a pressure-induced decomposition into the high-pressure phases of its parent binary compounds above 7 GPa, which is supported by an analysis of their formation enthalpies. We have framed the behavior of SnSb2Te4 within the extended orbital radii map of BA2Te4 compounds, which paves the way to understand the pressure behavior and stability ranges of other layered van der Waals-type compounds with similar stoichiometry.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of TlReO4 studied using a first principles approach

Present work provides extensive DFT study of TlReO4 using pseudopotential approach for understanding the structural and vibrational properties and full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method for electronic band structure and associated optical properties. Calculated bulk modulus value 29.77 GPa using LDA functional is found to be close to experimental value 26 GPa. The order of elastic constant along the principal axis clearly indicates the crucial role of Re and O3 atoms in the structural and mechanical properties of this material. Analysis of Born effective charge (BEC) along with gamma point phonon frequencies through density functional perturbation approach (DFPT) have also shown the importance of these atoms. The anisotropic nature of BEC is mainly found to be contributed due to O3 atoms. An asymmetric stretching of Re-O3 bond is found to be mainly responsible for high intense IR peak in the high-frequency range whereas the second most intense peak is due to the symmetric stretching of these bonds along with the asymmetric stretching of the Re-O2 bond. To get exact electronic band structure, spin orbit coupling (SOC) in addition to Tran-Blaha Modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential have been considered. Inclusion of SOC clearly shows a decreased band gap of 4.71 eV from TB-mBJ implemented band gap 4.82 eV which mainly attributed to 0.08 eV splitting of Re d-states. Study of density of states (DOS) reveals that conduction band bottom (CBB) is mainly made up of Re d-states but main contribution to valence band top (VBT) is due to oxygen p-states. The bonding nature of this material has also been addressed using DOS which is further verified through the electron charge density plot. Though the optical properties of this material are found to be anisotropic but optical isotropy can be seen in lower energy value.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Comment on "High-pressure phases of group-II difluorides: Polymorphism and superionicity"

Nelson et al. [Phys. Rev. B 95, 054118 (2017)] recently have reported first-principles calculations on the behaviour of group-II difluorides (BeF$_{2}$, MgF$_{2}$, and CaF$_{2}$) under high-pressure and low- and high-temperature conditions. The calculations were based on ab initio random structure searching and the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA). Here, we point out that, despite the of inestimable value of such calculations at high-pressure and low-temperature conditions, the high-$P$ high-$T$ phase diagram proposed by Nelson et al. for CaF$_{2}$ neither is in qualitative agreement with the results of previous ab initio molecular dynamics simulations nor with the existing corps of experimental data. Therefore, we conclude that the QHA-based approach employed by Nelson et al. cannot be applied reliably to the study of phase boundaries involving superionic phases. This conclusion is further corroborated by additional ab initio calculations performed in the superionic compounds SrF$_{2}$, BaF$_{2}$, Li$_{3}$OCl, and AgI.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Recent progress on the characterization of the high-pressure behaviour of AVO4 orthovanadates

AVO4 vanadates are materials of technological importance due to their variety of functional properties. They have applications as scintillators, thermophosphors, photocatalysts, cathodoluminescence, and laser-host materials. Studies at HP-HT are helpful for understanding the physical properties of the solid state, in special, the phase behavior of AVO4 materials. For instance, they have contributed to understand the macroscopic properties of vanadates in terms of microscopic mechanisms. A great progress has been made in the last decade towards the study of the pressure-effects on the structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of AVO4 compounds. Thanks to the combination of experimental and theoretical studies, novel metastable phases with interesting physical properties have been discovered and the HP structural sequence followed by AVO4 oxides has been understood. Here, we will review HP studies carried out on the phase behavior of different AVO4 compounds. The studied materials include rare-earth vanadates and other compounds; for example, BiVO4, FeVO4, CrVO4, and InVO4. In particular, we will focus on discussing the results obtained by different research groups, who have extensively studied vanadates up to pressures exceeding 50 GPa. We will make a systematic presentation and discussion of the results reported in the literature. In addition, with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the actual understanding of the high-pressure properties of ternary oxides, the HP behavior of vanadates will be compared with related compounds; including phosphates, chromates, and arsenates. The behavior of nanomaterials under compression will also be briefly described and compared with their bulk counterpart. Finally, the implications of the reported studies on technological developments and geophysics will be commented and possible directions for the future studies will be proposed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Pressure impact on the stability and distortion of the crystal structure of CeScO3

The effects of high pressure on the crystal structure of orthorhombic (Pnma) perovskite type cerium scandate have been studied in situ under high pressure by means of synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction, using a diamond anvil cell. We have found that the perovskite type crystal structure remains stable up to 40 GPa, the highest pressure reached in the experiments. The evolution of unit-cell parameters with pressure has indicated an anisotropic compression. The room-temperature pressure-volume equation of state is obtained from the experiments. From the evolution of microscopic structural parameters like bond distances and coordination polyhedra of cerium and scandium, the macroscopic behavior of CeScO3 under compression has been explained and reasoned for its large pressure stability. The reported results are discussed in comparison with high-pressure results from other perovskites.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

First-Principles Study of InVO4 under Pressure: Phase Transitions from CrVO4- to AgMnO4-Type Structure

First-principles calculations have been carried out to study the InVO4 compound under pressure. In this work, total energy calculations were performed in order to analyze the structural behavior of the experimentally known polymorphs of InVO4: a-MnMoO4-type (I), CrVO4-type (III), and wolframite (V). In addition, in this paper we present our results about the stability of this compound beyond the pressures reached by experiments. We propose some new high-pressure phases on the basis of the study of 13 possible candidates. The quasi-harmonic approximation has been used to calculate the sequence of phase transitions at 300 K: CrVO4-type, III (the transition pressure is given in parentheses) -> wolframite, V (4.4 GPa) -> raspite, VI (28.1 GPa) -> AgMnO4-type, VII (44 GPa). Equations of state and phonon frequencies as a function of pressure have been calculated for the studied phases. In order to determine the stability of each phase, we also report the phonon dispersion along the Brillouin zone and the phonon density of states for the most stable polymorphs. Finally, the electronic band structure for the low- and high-pressure phases for the studied polymorphs is presented as well as the pressure evolution of the band gap by using the HSE06 hybrid functional.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Structural evolution of CO2 filled pure silica LTA zeolite under high-pressure high-temperature conditions

The crystal structure of CO2 filled pure SiO2 LTA zeolite has been studied at high pressures and temperatures using synchrotron based x ray powder diffraction. Its structure consists of 13 CO2 guest molecules, 12 of them accommodated in the large alpha cages and 1 in the beta cages, giving a SiO2:CO2 stoichiometric ratio smaller than 2. The structure remains stable under pressure up to 20 GPa with a slight pressure dependent rhombohedral distortion, indicating that pressure induced amorphization is prevented by the insertion of guest species in this open framework. The ambient-temperature lattice compressibility has been determined. In situ high pressure resistive heating experiments up to 750 K allow us to estimate the thermal expansivity at 5 GPa. Our data confirm that the insertion of CO2 reverses the negative thermal expansion of the empty zeolite structure. No evidence of any chemical reaction was observed. The possibility of synthesizing a silicon carbonate at high temperatures and higher pressures is discussed in terms of the evolution of C-O and Si-O distances between molecular and framework atoms.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Prediction of giant mechanocaloric effects in fluorite-structured superionic materials

Mechanocaloric materials experience a change in temperature when a mechanical stress is adiabatically applied on them. Thus far, only ferroelectrics and superelastic metallic alloys have been considered as potential mechanocaloric compounds to be exploited in solid-state cooling applications. Here we show that giant mechanocaloric effects occur in hitherto overlooked fast ion conductors (FIC), a class of multicomponent materials in which above a critical temperature, Ts, a constituent ionic species undergoes a sudden increase in mobility. Using first-principles and molecular dynamics simulations, we found that the superionic transition in fluorite-structured FIC, which is characterised by a large entropy increase of the order of 100 J/K*Kg, can be externally tuned with hydrostatic, biaxial or uniaxial stresses. In particular, Ts can be reduced several hundreds of degrees through the application of moderate tensile stresses due to the concomitant drop in the formation energy of Frenkel pair defects. We predict that the adiabatic temperature change in CaF2 and PbF2, two archetypal fluorite-structured FIC, close to their critical points are of the order of 100 and 10 K, respectively. This work advocates that FIC constitute a new family of mechanocaloric materials showing great promise for prospective solid-state refrigeration applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Superionicity and Polymorphism in Calcium Fluoride at High Pressure

We present a combined experimental and computational first-principles study of the superionic and structural properties of CaF2 at high P-T conditions. We observe an anomalous superionic behavior in the low-P fluorite phase that consists in a decrease of the normal-> superionic critical temperature with compression. This unexpected effect can be explained in terms of a P-induced softening of a zone-boundary $X$ phonon which involves exclusively fluorine displacements. Also we find that superionic conductivity is absent in the high-P cotunnite phase. Instead, superionicity develops in a new low-symmetry high-T phase that we identify as monoclinic (space group P2_1/c). We discuss the possibility of observing these intriguing phenomena in related isomorphic materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Supporting Material for: Superionicity and Polymorphism in Calcium Fluoride at High Pressure

In this supplemental document we explain the details of our ab initio density functional theory calculations and crystal structure searches performed in CaF2 under pressure. Also we report the computed P-dependence of the formation energy of Frenkel pair defects in the cubic fluorite phase, and the vibrational phonon spectra and structural data of the predicted high-T monoclinic P2_1/c phase. Calculated enthalpy energies in compressed SrF2 and BaF2 are also presented.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Pbca-type In2O3: the lost pressure-induced post-corundum phase

Contradictory results of high-pressure studies in cubic bixbyite-type indium oxide (c-In2O3) at room temperature (RT) have motivated us to perform high-pressure powder x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements in this material. On increasing pressure c-In2O3 undergoes a transition to the Rh2O3-II structure. On decreasing pressure Rh2O3-II-type In2O3 undergoes a transition to a previously unknown phase which is isostructural to Rh2O3-III. On further decrease of pressure, another phase transition to corundum-type In2O3, which is metastable at room conditions, is observed. Recompression of metastable corundum-type In2O3 shows that the Rh2O3-III phase is the post-corundum phase. Our results are supported by theoretical ab initio calculations which show that the Rh2O3-III phase could be present in other sesquioxides, thus leading to a revision of the pressure-temperature phase diagrams of sesquioxides.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗