arXiv subjects

Talat S. Rahman

Publications and source records attributed to Talat S. Rahman.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Structure, Dynamics and Themodynamics of a metal chiral surface: Cu(532)

The structure, vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of a chiral surface, Cu(532), has been calculated using a local approach and the harmonic approximation, with interatomic potentials based on the embedded atom method. The relaxation of atomic positions to the optimum configuration results in a complex relaxation pattern with strong contractions in the bond length of atoms near the kink and the step site and an equivalently large expansion near the least under-coordinated surface atoms. The low coordination of the atoms on the surface affects substantially the vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of this system. The local vibrational density of states show a deviation from the bulk behavior that persist down to the 10th layer resulting in a substantial contribution of the vibrational entropy to the excess free energy amounting to about 90 meV per unit cell at 300K.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

First-principles calculations of the magnetism of Fe$_2$O$_2$H$_2$

By expanding the wave function in plane waves, we use the pseudopotential method of density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation to calculate the effective magnetic coupling energies of the S=5/2 spins in the Fe2 dimer, approximated as Fe$_2$O$_2$H$_2$. Setting the Fe-O bond length at the value corresponding to the minimum total energy, we find the difference in antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic exchange energies as a function of the Fe-O-Fe bond angle $θ$. The effective interaction is antiferromagnetic for 63$^{\circ}<θ<105^{\circ}$, and is ferromagnetic otherwise. Full potential augmented plane wave calculations were also performed at $θ=100,105^{\circ}$, confirming these results, and providing information relevant to the local anisotropy of the spin interactions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2005

First Principles Study of Adsorption, Diffusion and Dissociation of NH_3 on Ni and Pd Surfaces

Using the plane wave pseudopotential method within the density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation for exchange and correlation potential, we have calculated adsorption energies (Ead), diffusion barriers and the first dissociation barriers (E1) for NH3 on the Ni(111), Pd(111) and Ni(211) surfaces. The top sites are found to be preferred for NH3 adsorption on Ni(111) and Pd(111). The diffusion barrier is calculated to be substantially higher for Pd(111) than for Ni(111). We also find that during the first dissociation step (NH3 => NH2 +H) on Ni(111) surface NH2 moves from the top site to the nearest hollow site, while on Ni(211) it moves from the initial top site at the step edge to the bridge site in the same step chain. H is found to occupy the hollow sites for both surfaces. For the reaction on Ni(111), the Ead is found to be 0.23 eV lower than E1, while at the step of Ni(211), E1 and Ead are almost equal to each other. This suggests that the molecule will rather desorb on Ni(111) than dissociate, whereas at the step the dissociation is favorable.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

First-principles calculations of the phonon dispersion curves of H on Pt(111)

We have calculated the surface phonon dispersion curves for H on Pt(111), using first-principles, total energy calculations based on a mixed-basis set and norm-conserving pseudopotentials. Linear response theory and the harmonic approximation are invoked. For one monolayer of H in the preferred adsorption site (fcc hollow) vibrational modes polarized parallel and perpendicular to the surface are found, respectively, at 73.5 meV and 142.6 meV, at the Γ point of the surface Brillouin zone. The degeneracy of the parallel mode is lifted at the zone boundaries, yielding energies of 69.6 meV and 86.3 meV at the M point and 79.4 meV and 80.8 meV at the K point. The dispersion curves for H adsorption at the hcp hollow site differ only slightly from the above. In either case, H adsorption has considerable impact on the substrate modes; in particular the surface mode in the gap in the bulk phonon spectrum (around M point) is pushed into the bulk band. For on-top H adsorption, modes polarized parallel and perpendicular to the surface have respective energies of 47.4 meV and 277.2 meV, at the Γ point. The former disperses to 49.1 meV and 59.5 meV at the M point and to 56 meV and 56.7 meV at the K point. The H vibrational mode polarized perpendicular to the surface shows little dispersion, in all three cases considered. Insights are obtained from the hybridization of the H and Pt electronic states.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

First-principles study of the origin of alkali promotion of reactivity of metal surfaces

Alkali metals are known as efficient promoters in heterogeneous catalysis but the nature of this phenomenon is as yet not understood. Our first principles calculations reveal a huge increase and delocalization of the isoelectronic reactivity index of Cu and Pd surfaces on alkali adsorption. We trace this phenomenon to an unusual feature in the surface potential formed by the adsorbate and propose it as a driving force for the "promotion effect". Our results also provide clues to some of the unusual optical properties of quantum wells formed when alkali adsorb on Cu surfaces.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2004

Ab initio calculations of adsorbate-induced stress on Ni(100)

We have calculated the surface stress induced on adsorption of c(2x2) overlayers of O and C, using first principles electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory within the local density approximation(LDA) and non-local pseudopotentials. Most remarkable result is found in the case of the C overlayer which introduces a large compressive stress, while that on clean Ni(100) and that in the presence of the O overlayer are found to be tensile and smaller in comparison. We find a correlation between the height of the C overlayer and the resulting clock reconstruction of Ni(100) but no specific relationship between surface stress and surface reconstruction. We discuss our results in the context of experimental data, and insights from electronic structure calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

Theoretical aspects of vertical and lateral manipulation of atoms

Using total energy calculations, based on interaction potentials from the embedded atom method, we show that the presence of the tip not only lowers the barrier for lateral diffusion of the adatom towards it, but also shifts the corresponding saddle point. For a Cu adatom at a (100) microfacetted step on Cu(111) this shift is 0.6 A. The effect of the tip geometry and shape on the energetics of lateral manipulation was found to be subtle. In the case of vertical manipulation of a Cu adatom on flat, stepped, and kinked Cu surfaces we find an unusual but interesting result. It is found that as the tip approaches the surface, it becomes easier to extract the adatom from the stepped and kinked surfaces, as compared to the flat surface. This counter intuitive result can be explained in terms of tip induced changes in the bonding of the adatom to its low coordinated surroundings.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

Phonons of Metallic Vicinal Surfaces

We present an analysis of the vibrational dynamics of metal vicinal surfaces using the embedded atom method to describe the interaction potential and both a real space Green's function method and a slab method to calculate the phonons. We report two main general characteristics : a global shift of the surface vibrational density of states resulting from a softening of the force field. The latter is a direct result of the reduction of coordination for the different type of surface atoms; and an appearance of high frequency modes above the bulk band, resulting from a stiffening of the force field near the step atom. The latter is due to a rearrangement of the atomic positions during the relaxation of the surface atoms yielding a large shortening of the nearest neighbor distances near the step atoms.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

Electronic Structure of the c(2x2)O/Cu(001) System

The locally self-consistent real space multiple scattering technique has been applied to calculate the electronic structure and chemical binding for the c(2x2)O/Cu(001) system, as a function of $d_{O-Cu1}$ -- the height of oxygen above the fourfold hollow sites. It is found that the chemical binding between oxygen and copper has a mixed ionic-covalent character for all plausible values of $d_{O-Cu1}$. Furthermore, the electron charge transfer from Cu to O depends strongly on $d_{O-Cu1}$ and is traced to the variation of the long-range electrostatic part of the potential. A competition between the hybridization of Cu1-$d_{xz}$ with O-$p_x,p_y$ and Cu1-$d_{x^2-y^2}$ with O-$p_z$ states controls modification of the electronic structure when oxygen atoms approach the Cu(001) surface. The anisotropy of the oxygen valence electron charge density is found to be strongly and non-monotonically dependent on $d_{O-Cu1}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

Ab initio Calculations of Multilayer Relaxations of Stepped Cu Surfaces

We present trends in the multilayer relaxations of several vicinals of Cu(100) and Cu(111) of varying terrace widths and geometry. The electronic structure calculations are based on density functional theory in the local density approximation with norm-conserving, non-local pseudopotentials in the mixed basis representation. While relaxations continue for several layers, the major effect concentrates near the step and corner atoms. On all surfaces the step atoms contract inwards, in agreement with experimental findings. Additionally, the corner atoms move outwards and the atoms in the adjacent chain undergo large inward relaxation. Correspondingly, the largest contraction (4%) is in the bond length between the step atom and its bulk nearest neighbor (BNN), while that between the corner atom and BNN is somewhat enlarged. The surface atoms also display changes in registry of upto 1.5%. Our results are in general in good agreement with LEED data including the controversial case of Cu(511). Subtle differences are found with results obtained from semi-empirical potentials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗