Iskandar Raufov | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Optoelectronic and Thermoelectric Properties of High-Performance AlSb Semiconductors

This study presents a comprehensive first-principles investigation of the optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties of aluminum antimonide (AlSb) in its cubic (F-43m) and hexagonal (P63mc) phases. Structural optimization was performed using the SCAN functional, and all electronic and optical properties were evaluated using the modified Becke-Johnson potential combined with the Hubbard correction (mBJ+U), which best describes the band-edge electronic structure, explicitly accounting for the contribution of the d-states of the Sb half-core, which cannot be adequately accounted for by conventional functionals and may be overestimated by hybrid approaches. Both AlSb phases are found to be quasi-direct bandgap semiconductors, with calculated band gaps of 1.71 eV for the cubic phase and 1.50 eV for the hexagonal phase, in good agreement with available experimental data. The optical response reveals strong absorption in the visible and ultraviolet regions, moderate reflectivity, and high refractive indices, indicating pronounced light-matter interaction characteristic of III-V semiconductors. The hexagonal phase exhibits enhanced low-energy optical absorption due to its reduced symmetry and narrower band gap. Thermoelectric analysis demonstrates large negative Seebeck coefficients, thermally activated carrier generation, and a monotonic increase of the power factor with carrier concentration for both phases. The cubic phase shows higher power factor values due to enhanced carrier mobility, whereas the hexagonal phase benefits from reduced thermal conductivity, which is favorable for thermoelectric performance at elevated temperatures. These results establish AlSb as a multifunctional semiconductor with tunable optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties and highlight the importance of an accurate treatment of Sb d-electron effects for reliable property prediction.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Thermodynamic Phase Stability, Structural, Mechanical, Optoelectronic, and Thermoelectric Properties of the III-V Semiconductor AlSb for Energy Conversion Applications

This study presents a first principles investigation of the structural, thermodynamic, electronic, optical and thermoelectric properties of aluminum antimonide (AlSb) in its cubic (F-43m) and hexagonal (P63mc) phases. Both structures are dynamically and mechanically stable, as confirmed by phonon calculations and the Born Huang criteria. The lattice constants obtained using the SCAN and PBEsol functionals show good agreement with experimental data. The cubic phase exhibits a direct band gap of 1.66 to 1.78 eV, while the hexagonal phase shows a band gap of 1.48 to 1.59 eV, as confirmed by mBJ and HSE06 calculations. Under external pressure, the band gap decreases in the cubic phase and increases in the hexagonal phase due to different s p orbital hybridization mechanisms. The optical absorption coefficient reaches 1e6 cm-1, which is comparable to or higher than values reported for other III V semiconductors. The Seebeck coefficient exceeds 1500 microV per K under intrinsic conditions, and the thermoelectric performance improves above 600 K due to enhanced phonon scattering and lattice anharmonicity. The calculated formation energies (-1.316 eV for F-43m and -1.258 eV for P63mc) confirm that the cubic phase is thermodynamically more stable. The hexagonal phase exhibits higher anisotropy and lower lattice stiffness, which is favorable for thermoelectric applications. These results demonstrate the strong interplay between crystal symmetry, phonon behavior and charge transport, and provide useful guidance for the design of AlSb based materials for optoelectronic and energy conversion technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗