Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of ion–solid interactions in Gd2Zr2O7 and Gd2Ti2O7
The development of ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method has made it a powerful tool in describing ion-solid interactions in materials, with identification determination of threshold displacement energies with ab initio accuracy, and prediction of new mechanism for defect generation and new defective states that are different from classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In the present work, this method is employed to study the low energy recoil events in Gd2Zr2O7 and Gd2Ti2O7. The weighted average threshold displacement energies in Gd2Zr2O7 are determined to be 38.8 eV for Gd, 41.4 eV for Zr, 18.6 eV for O48f, and 15.6 eV for O8b, which are smaller than the respective values of 41.8, >53.8, 22.6 and 16.2 eV in Gd2Ti2O7. It reveals that all the ions in Gd2Zr2O7 are more easily displaced than those in Gd2Ti2O7, and anion order-disorder are more likely to be involved in the displacement events than cation disordering. The average charge transfer from the primary knock-on atom to its neighbors is estimated to be ~0.15, ~0.11-0.27 and ~0.1-0.13 |e| for Gd, Zr (or Ti), and O, respectively. Negligence of the charge transfer in the interatomic potentials may result in the larger threshold displacement energies in classical MD.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1063150
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Materials Chemistry. C, Vol. 1, Issue 8; ISSN 2050-7526
- Publisher:
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Pressure induced structural transformation in Gd2Ti2O7 and Gd2Zr2O7
Pressure Induced Structural Transformation in Gd2Ti2O7 and Gd2Zr2O7