Xu X, Jiang H. Cluster expansion based configurational averaging approach to bandgaps of semiconductor alloys.
J Chem Phys 2019;
150:034102. [PMID:
30660153 DOI:
10.1063/1.5078399]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Configurationally disordered semiconducting materials including semiconductor alloys [e.g., (GaN)1-x(ZnO)x] and stoichiometric materials with fractional occupation (e.g., LaTiO2N) have attracted a lot of interest recently in search for efficient visible light photo-catalysts. First-principles modeling of such materials poses great challenges due to the difficulty in treating the configurational disorder efficiently. In this work, a configurational averaging approach based on the cluster expansion technique has been exploited to describe bandgaps of ordered, partially disordered (with short-range order), and fully disordered phases of semiconductor alloys on the same footing. We take three semiconductor alloys [Cd1-xZnxS, ZnO1-xSx, and (GaN)1-x(ZnO)x] as model systems and clearly demonstrate that semiconductor alloys can have a system-dependent short-range order that has significant effects on their electronic properties.
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