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Neutron diffraction measurements and first-principles study of thermal motion of atoms in select M(n+1)AX(n) and binary MX transition-metal carbide phases
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Neutron diffraction measurements and first-principles study of thermal motion of atoms in select M(n+1)AX(n) and binary MX transition-metal carbide phases

Nina J. Lane, Sven C. Vogel, Gilles Hug, Atsushi Togo, Laurent Chaput, Lars Hultman and Michel W. Barsoum
Physical review. B, v 86(21)
03 Dec 2012
url
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.86.214301View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (Publisher-Specific) Open

Abstract

Materials Science Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Physical Sciences Physics Physics, Applied Physics, Condensed Matter Science & Technology Technology
Herein, we compare the thermal vibrations of atoms in select ternary carbides with the formula M(n+1)AX(n) ("MAX phases," M = Ti, Cr; A = Al, Si, Ge; X = C, N) as determined from first-principles phonon calculations to those obtained from high-temperature neutron powder diffraction studies. The transition metal carbides TiC, TaC, and WC are also studied to test our methodology on simpler carbides. Good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found between predicted and experimental values for the binary carbides. For all the MAX phases studied-Ti3SiC2, Ti3GeC2, Ti2AlN, Cr2GeC and Ti4AlN3-density functional theory calculations predict that the A element vibrates with the highest amplitude and does so anisotropically with a higher amplitude within the basal plane, which is in line with earlier results from high-temperature neutron diffraction studies. In some cases, there are quantitative differences in the absolute values between the theoretical and experimental atomic displacement parameters (ADPs), such as reversal of anisotropy or a systematic offset of temperature-dependent ADPs. The mode-dependent Gruneisen parameters are also computed to explore the anharmonicity in the system.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
Physics, Condensed Matter
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