AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Topological data analysis of superionic conductor silver iodide

Topological data analysis based on persistent homology has been applied to the molecular dynamics simulation for the fast ion-conducting phase (α-phase) of AgI, to show its effectiveness on the ion-migration mechanism analysis. Time-averaged persistence diagrams of α-AgI, which quantitatively records the shape and size of the ring structures in the given atomic configurations, clearly showed the emergence of the four-membered rings formed by two Ag and two I ions at high temperatures. They were identified as common structures during the Ag ion migration. The averaged potential energy change due to the deformation of four-membered ring agrees well with the activation energy calculated from the conductivity Arrhenius plot. The concerted motion of two Ag ions via the four-membered ring was also successfully extracted from molecular dynamics simulations by our approach, providing the new insight into the specific mechanism of the concerted motion.

Tags: ion-migration, molecular-dynamics-simulation, persistence-diagram
Single-point spin Chern number in a supercell framework

We present an approach for the calculation of the Z2 topological invariant in non-crystalline two-dimensional quantum spin Hall insulators. While topological invariants were originally mathematically introduced for crystalline periodic systems, and crucially hinge on tracking the evolution of occupied states through the Brillouin zone, the introduction of disorder or dynamical effects can break the translational symmetry and imply the use of larger simulation cells, where the k-point sampling is typically reduced to the single Γ-point. Here, we introduce a single-point formula for the spin Chern number that enables to adopt the supercell framework, where a single Hamiltonian diagonalisation is performed. Our single-point approach allows to calculate the spin Chern number even when the spin operator does not commute with the Hamiltonian, as in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling. This archive entry contains the results of the single-point calculations of the topological invariant on the tight-binding Kane-Mele model for large supercells (up to 7200 sites). Convergence tests as function of the supercell size are reported, both in the pristine case and in presence of Anderson disorder. Single-point calculations of the spin Chern number are carried out over the entire phase diagram of the Kane-Mele model. The study of topological phase transitions due to disorder is performed in terms of single-point spin Chern number by averaging over several realisations of the Anderson disorder in the supercell.

Tags: anderson-disorder, kane-mele-model, spin-chern-number, supercell-framework, topological-insulators
Magnon-phonon interactions enhance the gap at the Dirac point in the spin-wave spectra of CrI₃ two-dimensional magnets

Recent neutron-diffraction experiments in honeycomb CrI₃ quasi-2D ferromagnets have evinced the existence of a gap at the Dirac point in their spin-wave spectra. The existence of this gap has been attributed to strong in-plane Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya or Kitaev (DM/K) interactions and suggested to set the stage for topologically protected edge states to sustain non-dissipative spin transport. We perform state-of-the-art simulations of the spin-wave spectra in monolayer CrI₃, based on time-dependent density-functional perturbation theory (TDDFpT) and fully accounting for spin-orbit couplings (SOC) from which DM/K interactions ultimately stem. While our results are in qualitative agreement with experiments, the computed TDDFpT magnon gap at the Dirac point is found to be 0.47 meV, roughly six times smaller than the most recent experimental estimates, so questioning that intralayer anisotropies alone can explain the observed gap. Lattice-dynamical calculations, performed within density-functional perturbation theory (DFpT), indicate that a substantial degeneracy and a strong coupling between vibrational and magnetic excitations exist in this system, providing a possible additional gap-opening mechanism in the spin-wave spectra. To pursue this path, we introduce an interacting magnon-phonon Hamiltonian featuring a linear coupling between lattice and spin fluctuations, enabled by the magnetic anisotropy induced by SOC. Upon determination of the relevant interaction constants by DFpT and supercell calculations, this model allows us to propose magnon-phonon interactions as an important microscopic mechanism responsible for the enhancement of the gap in the range of ≈4meV around the Dirac point of the CrI₃ monolayer.

Tags: cri3, dfpt, magnon-phonon-coupling, magnons, marvel, phonons, quantum-espresso, tddft
Probing temperature responsivity of microgels and its interplay with a solid surface by super-resolution microscopy and numerical simulations

Super-resolution microscopy has become a powerful tool to investigate the internal structure of complex colloidal and polymeric systems, such as microgels, at the nanometer scale. An interesting feature of this method is the possibility of monitoring microgel response to temperature changes in situ. However, when performing advanced microscopy experiments, interactions between the particle and the environment can be important. Often microgels are deposited on a substrate, since they have to remain still for several minutes during the experiment. In the publication associated with this data, we use direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) and advanced coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how individual microgels anchored on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces undergo their volume phase transition with temperature. We find that, in the presence of a hydrophilic substrate, the structure of the microgel is unperturbed and the resulting density profiles quantitatively agree with simulations performed under bulk conditions. Instead, when a hydrophobic surface is used, the microgel spreads at the interface and an interesting competition between the two hydrophobic strengths, monomer–monomer vs monomer–surface, comes into play at high temperatures. 
The data deposited on the Materials Cloud Archive contains the initial microgel configuration in LAMMPS read format, the calculated radii and the density profiles under the different temperatures and surfaces.

Tags: cineca-iscra, experimental, h2020, microgels, molecular-dynamics, volume-phase-transition
Ferroelectric, quantum paraelectric, or paraelectric? Calculating the evolution from BaTiO3 to SrTiO3 to KTaO3 using a single-particle quantum mechanical description of the ions

We present an inexpensive first-principles approach for describing quantum paraelectricity that combines density functional theory (DFT) treatment of the electronic subsystem with quantum mechanical treatment of the ions through solution of the single-particle Schrödinger equation with the DFT-calculated potential. Using BaTiO3, SrTiO3, and KTaO3 as model systems, we show that the approach can straightforwardly distinguish between ferroelectric, paraelectric, and quantum paraelectric materials, based on simple quantities extracted from standard density functional and density functional perturbation theories. We calculate the influence of isotope substitution and strain on quantum paraelectric behavior and find that, while complete replacement of oxygen-16 by oxygen-18 has a surprisingly small effect, experimentally accessible strains can induce large changes. Finally, we collect the various choices for the phonon mass that have been introduced in the literature. We ide tify those that are most physically meaningful by comparing them with our results that avoid such a choice through the use of mass-weighted coordinates.

Tags: batio3, dft, ferroelectricity, ktao3, quantum-paraelectricity, srtio3
Low-index mesoscopic surface reconstructions of Au surfaces using Bayesian force fields

Metal surfaces have long been known to reconstruct, significantly influencing their structural and catalytic properties. Many key mechanistic aspects of these subtle transformations remain poorly understood due to limitations of previous simulation approaches. Using active learning of Bayesian machine-learned force fields trained from ab initio calculations, we enable large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to describe the thermodynamics and time evolution of the low-index mesoscopic surface reconstructions of Au (e.g., the Au(111)-`Herringbone,' Au(110)-(1x2)-`Missing-Row,' and Au(100)-`Quasi-Hexagonal' reconstructions). This capability yields direct atomistic understanding of the dynamic emergence of these surface states from their initial facets, providing previously inaccessible information such as nucleation kinetics and a complete mechanistic interpretation of reconstruction under the effects of strain and local deviations from the original stoichiometry. We successfully reproduce previous experimental observations of reconstructions on pristine surfaces and provide quantitative predictions of the emergence of spinodal decomposition and localized reconstruction in response to strain at non-ideal stoichiometries. A unified mechanistic explanation is presented of the kinetic and thermodynamic factors driving surface reconstruction. Furthermore, we study surface reconstructions on Au nanoparticles, where characteristic (111) and (100) reconstructions spontaneously appear on a variety of high-symmetry particle morphologies. The training data, MLFF, and subsequent simulations are provided for reproducibility.

Tags: density-functional-theory, machine-learning, molecular-dynamics-simulation
The role of phosphate functionalization on the oxygen evolution reaction activity of cobalt-based oxides at different pH values

Cobalt-based oxides are active electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes. However, their OER activity at near-neutral pHs is generally low and more active OER catalysts at neutral pHs are desired for practical applications. Herein, La0.2Sr0.8CoO3–δ, La0.2Sr0.8Co0.8Fe0.2O3–δ, La0.5Sr1.5CoO4–δ and CoOx catalysts were prepared by the flame spray synthesis method and their surface was functionalized by a dry phosphate incorporation process. Small amount of P was incorporated on the surface of the catalyst (in the range of ppm). All the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and soft and hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) before and after the functionalization process. The electrocatalytic activity towards OER of the different nanoparticle catalysts was investigated in electrolytes with different pH values (pH = 7, 12.5, 13, and 13.5).

Tags: alkaline-water-electrolysis, experimental, neutral-ph, phosphate-ion-functionalization
Antiferromagnetism-driven two-dimensional topological nodal-point superconductivity

Magnet/superconductor hybrids (MSHs) hold the promise to host emergent topological superconducting phases. Both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) magnetic systems in proximity to s-wave superconductors have shown evidence of gapped topological superconductivity with zero-energy end states and chiral edge modes. Recently, it was proposed that the bulk transition-metal dichalcogenide 4Hb-TaS2 is a gapless topological nodal-point superconductor (TNPSC). However, there has been no experimental realization of a TNPSC in a MSH system yet. In our work we present the discovery of TNPSC in antiferromagnetic (AFM) monolayers on top of an s-wave superconductor. Our calculations show that the topological phase is driven by the AFM order, resulting in the emergence of a gapless time-reversal invariant topological superconducting state. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy we observe a low-energy edge mode, which separates the topological phase from the trivial one, at the boundaries of antiferromagnetic islands. As predicted by the calculations, we find that the relative spectral weight of the edge mode depends on the edge's atomic configuration. Our results establish the combination of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity as a novel route to design 2D topological quantum phases. This record contains tight binding calculations results and a combination of STM images and tunneling spectroscopy data supporting our work.

Tags: nodal-point-superconductivity, scaning-tunneling-microscopy, topological-quantum-materials
Theory-guided design of high-strength, high-melting point, ductile, low-density, single-phase BCC high entropy alloys

The search for new high-temperature alloys that can enable higher-efficiency/lower-emissions power generation has accelerated with the discovery of body-centered cubic (bcc) refractory High Entropy Alloys (HEAs). These many-component, non-dilute alloys in the Cr-Mo-W-V-Nb-Ta-Ti-Zr-Hf-Al family hold the potential for combining high strength and thermodynamic stability at high temperature with low density and room-temperature ductility, but searching the immense compositional space is daunting. Here, very recent theories and expanded thermodynamic tools are used to guide the discovery of new alloys satisfying the required suite of properties. We present the dataset we generated in search for such alloys, including 5-component equicomposition alloys, as well as new quinary and quarternary alloys in the Hf-Mo-Nb-Ta-Ti space having even better overall properties (high strength, high strength retention, good ductility, light weight and single phase).

Tags: epfl, high-entropy-alloys, marvel, materials-selection
Onsite and intersite electronic correlations in the Hubbard model for halide perovskites

Halide perovskites (HPs) are widely viewed as promising photovoltaic and light-emitting materials for their suitable band gaps in the visible spectrum. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing (semi)local exchange-correlation functionals usually underestimate the band gaps for these systems. Accurate descriptions of the electronic structures of HPs often demand higher-order levels of theory such as the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) hybrid density functional and GW approximations that are much more computationally expensive than standard DFT. Here, we investigate three representative types of HPs, ABX3 halide perovskites, vacancy-ordered double perovskites (VODPs), and bond disproportionated halide perovskites (BDHPs), using DFT+U+V with onsite U and intersite V Hubbard parameters computed self-consistently without a priori assumption. The inclusion of Hubbard corrections improves the band gap prediction accuracy for all three types of HPs to a similar level of advanced methods. Moreover, the self-consistent Hubbard U is a meaningful indicator of the true local charge state of multivalence metal atoms in HPs. The inclusion of the intersite Hubbard V is crucial to properly capture the hybridization between valence electrons on neighboring atoms in BDHPs that have breathing-mode distortions of halide octahedra. In particular, the simultaneous convergence of both Hubbard parameters and crystal geometry enables a band gap prediction accuracy superior to HSE for BDHPs but at a fraction of the cost. Our work highlights the importance of using self-consistent Hubbard parameters when dealing with HPs that often possess intricate competitions between onsite localization and intersite hybridization.

Tags: band-gap, dftuv, halide-perovskite
Evidence for Jahn-Teller-driven metal-insulator transition in strained SrCrO₃ from first principles calculations

We present a potential explanation for the strain-induced metal-insulator transition that has recently been observed in thin films of SrCrO₃ using density-functional theory (DFT) and its extension to DFT+U. Our calculations show that the unstrained system exhibits a C-type antiferromagnetically ordered ground state, which is near to a Jahn-Teller instability, given realistic values of the Hubbard U parameter. However, the significant energy overlap between the higher-lying dxy band and the dxz/dyz band works against the JT distortion's. When epitaxially strained, this overlap is reduced by the lowering of the dxyband relative to dxz/dyz as the system gets closer to the nominal integer filling. The degeneracy between the dxz and dyz orbitals is subsequently lifted by the JT distortion, opening a gap in the electronic band structure.

Tags: dftu, jahn-teller-effect, marveldd5, orbital-order, srcro3
Multi-technique approach to unravel the (dis)order in amorphous materials

The concept of order in disordered materials is the key to controlling the mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties of amorphous compounds widely exploited in industrial applications and daily life. Rather, it is far from being understood. Here, we propose a multi-technique numerical approach to study the order/disorder of amorphous materials on both the short- and the medium-range scale. We combine the analysis of the disorder level based on chemical and physical features with their geometrical and topological properties, defining a previously unexplored interplay between the different techniques and the different order scales. We applied this scheme to amorphous GeSe and GeSeTe chalcogenides, showing a modulation of the internal disorder as a function of the stoichiometry and composition: Se-rich systems are less ordered than Ge-rich systems at the short- and medium-range length scales. The present approach can be easily applied to more complex systems containing three or more atom types without any a priori knowledge about the system chemical–physical features, giving a deep insight into the understanding of complex systems.

Tags: amorphous, chalcogenides, disorder, intersect, molecular-dynamics, openmodel
Noncollinear DFT+U and Hubbard parameters with fully-relativistic ultrasoft pseudopotentials

The magnetic, noncollinear parametrization of Dudarev's DFT+U method is generalized to fully-relativistic ultrasoft pseudopotentials. We present the definition of the DFT+U total energy functional, and the calculation of forces and stresses in the case of orthogonalized atomic orbitals defining the localised Hubbard manifold, where additional contributions arising from the derivative of the inverse square root of the overlap matrix appear. We further extend the perturbative calculation of the Hubbard U parameters within density-functional perturbation theory to the noncollinear relativistic case, by exploiting an existing and recently developed theoretical approach that takes advantage of the time-reversal operator to solve a second Sternheimer equation. We validate and apply the new scheme by studying the electronic structure and the thermodynamics of the binary compounds EuX (where X = O, S, Se, Te is a chalcogen atom), as representative simple crystals, and of the pyrochlore Cd2Os2O7, representative of a more structurally complex oxide.

Tags: dftu, first-principles, quantum-espresso
First-principles calculation of electron-phonon coupling in doped KTaO₃

Motivated by the recent experimental discovery of strongly surface-plane-dependent superconductivity at surfaces of KTaO₃ single crystals, we calculate the electron-phonon coupling strength, λ, of doped KTaO₃ along the reciprocal-space high-symmetry directions. Using the Wannier-function approach implemented in the EPW package, we calculate λ across the experimentally covered doping range and compare its mode-resolved distribution along the [001], [110] and [111] directions. We find that the electron-phonon coupling is strongest in the optical modes around the Γ point, with some distribution to higher k values in the [001] direction. The electron-phonon coupling strength as a function of doping has a dome-like shape in all three directions, and is largest in the [001] direction and weakest in the [111] direction. This is in contrast to the experimentally measured critical temperatures, which are highest for the (111) plane, pointing to a non-BCS character of the superconductivity. The strong localization of λ in the soft optical modes around Γ suggests an importance of ferroelectric soft-mode fluctuations.

Tags: ab-initio, electron-phonon-coupling, ktao3
Developments and further applications of ephemeral data derived potentials

Machine-learned interatomic potentials are fast becoming an indispensable tool in computational materials science. One approach is the ephemeral data-derived potential (EDDP), which was designed to accelerate atomistic structure prediction. The EDDP is simple and cost-efficient. It relies on training data generated in small unit cells and is fit using a lightweight neural network, leading to smooth interactions which exhibit the robust transferability essential for structure prediction. Here, we present a variety of applications of EDDPs, enabled by recent developments of the open-source EDDP software. New features include interfaces to phonon and molecular dynamics codes, as well as deployment of the ensemble deviation for estimating the confidence in EDDP predictions. Through case studies ranging from elemental carbon and lead to the binary scandium hydride and the ternary zinc cyanide, we demonstrate that EDDPs can be trained to cover wide ranges of pressures and stoichiometries, and used to evaluate phonons, phase diagrams, superionicity, and thermal expansion. These developments complement continued success in accelerated structure prediction.
This record provides the data associated with the different case studies demonstrating the uses of ephemeral data-derived potentials in the article "Developments and Further Applications of Ephemeral Data Derived Potentials".

Tags: hydrides, machine-learned-interatomic-potentials, metal-organic-frameworks, molecular-dynamics, phase-diagram, phonons, superionicity
Dataset of disorder-stabilized unfavorable coordination in complex ABX₂ compounds

The crystal structure of a material is essentially determined by the nature of its chemical bonding. Consequently, the atomic coordination intimately correlates with the degree of ionicity or covalency of the material. Based on this principle, materials with similar chemical compositions can be successfully categorized into different coordination groups. However, counterexamples recently emerged in complex ternary compounds. For instance, strongly covalent IB-IIIA-VIA₂ compounds, such as AgInS₂, prefer tetrahedrally coordinated structure (TCS), while strongly ionic IA-VA-VIA₂ compounds, such as NaBiS₂, would favor octahedrally coordinated structure (OCS). One naturally expects that IB-VA-VIA₂ compounds with intermediate ionicity or covalency, such as AgBiS₂, should then have a mix-coordinated structure (MCS) consisting of covalent AgS₄ tetrahedra and ionic BiS₆ octahedra. Surprisingly, only OCS was observed experimentally for AgBiS₂. To resolve this puzzle, we perform first-principles studies of the phase stabilities of ternary compounds at finite temperatures. We find that AgBiS₂ indeed prefers MCS at the ground state, in agreement with the typical expectation, but under experimental synthesis conditions disordered OCS becomes energetically more favorable because of its low mixing energy and high configurational entropy. This dataset includes structural information for the MCS and OCS configurations of ABX₂ compounds, along with the principal input data used for each calculation.

Tags: first-principles, grand-canonical-monte-carlo, vasp