The Debye-Waller factor explains the temperature dependence of the intensities of X-ray or neutron diffraction peaks. It is defined in terms of the B matrix whose elements B αβ are mean-square atomic displacements in different directions. These quantities, introduced in several contexts, account for the effects of temperature and quantum fluctuations on the lattice dynamics. This paper presents an implementation of the B factor (8π2 B αβ) in the thermo-pw software, a driver of Quantum ESPRESSO routines that provides several thermodynamic properties of materials. The B factor can be calculated from the ab initio phonon frequencies and displacements or can be estimated, although less accurately, from the elastic constants, using the Debye model. The B factors are computed for a few elemental crystals: silicon, ruthenium, magnesium and cadmium; the harmonic approximation at fixed geometry is compared with the quasi-harmonic approximation where the B factors are calculated accounting for thermal expansion. The results are compared with the available experimental data.

Temperature-dependent atomic B factor: an ab initio calculation / Malica, C.; Dal Corso, A.. - In: ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA. SECTION A, FOUNDATIONS AND ADVANCES. - ISSN 2053-2733. - 75:Pt 4(2019), pp. 624-632. [10.1107/S205327331900514X]

Temperature-dependent atomic B factor: an ab initio calculation

Malica C.
Membro del Collaboration group
;
Dal Corso A.
Membro del Collaboration group
2019-01-01

Abstract

The Debye-Waller factor explains the temperature dependence of the intensities of X-ray or neutron diffraction peaks. It is defined in terms of the B matrix whose elements B αβ are mean-square atomic displacements in different directions. These quantities, introduced in several contexts, account for the effects of temperature and quantum fluctuations on the lattice dynamics. This paper presents an implementation of the B factor (8π2 B αβ) in the thermo-pw software, a driver of Quantum ESPRESSO routines that provides several thermodynamic properties of materials. The B factor can be calculated from the ab initio phonon frequencies and displacements or can be estimated, although less accurately, from the elastic constants, using the Debye model. The B factors are computed for a few elemental crystals: silicon, ruthenium, magnesium and cadmium; the harmonic approximation at fixed geometry is compared with the quasi-harmonic approximation where the B factors are calculated accounting for thermal expansion. The results are compared with the available experimental data.
2019
75
Pt 4
624
632
http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?S205327331900514X
Malica, C.; Dal Corso, A.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11767/102087
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