Acta Physica Sinica, Volume. 69, Issue 15, 156202-1(2020)

Numerical prediction of structural stability and thermodynamic properties for MgF2 with fluorite- type structure under high pressure

Xiao-Wei Sun1、*, Ting Song1, Zi-Jiang Liu1,2, Gui-Xin Wan1, Lei Zhang1, and Wen-Li Chang1
Author Affiliations
  • 1School of Mathematics and Physics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
  • 2Department of Physics, Lanzhou City University, Lanzhou 730070, China
  • show less

    MgF2 is an important member of alkaline-earth fluorides and has a wide range of applications in industry. Meanwhile, MgF2 occurs naturally as a mineral sellaite. Compared with the study of its electronic structure and optical properties, the researches of the behavior under high pressure of MgF2, especially the thermodynamic properties are still limited. The high-pressure melting, volume thermal expansion coefficient, and thermoelastic parameter of the Earth’s lower mantle mineral, like MgF2, are of interest and importance for understanding the physical nature of the functional material and for recognizing the structural compositions, dynamics, evolution and origin of the earth. Using the first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, the thermodynamic, mechanical, and dynamic stability of the fluorite-type structure for MgF2 are systematically studied. The calculations indicate that the fluorite-type structure is a high-pressure phase and it is stable at least up to 135 GPa. According to the principle of equal enthalpies, the phase transition pressure of MgF2 crystal from stable rutile structure to high pressure fluorite structure is determined to be 19.26 GPa and 18.15 GPa based on the the generalized gradient approximation and local density approximation calculations, respectively. The high-temperature structural stability of MgF2 with the fluorite-type structure is investigated and confirmed by using the classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations by taking into account the molar volume and total energy change behavior in a temperature range from 300 to 6000 K. On the basis of previous research, the volume thermal expansion coefficient, isothermal bulk modulus, and thermoelastic parameter of MgF2 with the CaF2-type fluorite structure are predicted systematically in a temperature range from 300 to 1500 K and in a pressure range from 0 to 135 GPa with the help of the generalized gradient approximation of the revised Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof form combined with quasiharmonic Debye model calculations and the molecular dynamics method combined with reliable interatomic potentials. An important discovery is that the thermoelastic parameter of this material under low temperature and low pressure is not a constant as assumed usually in previous studies of the equation of states, but it approaches to a constant under both high temperature and high pressure.

    Tools

    Get Citation

    Copy Citation Text

    Xiao-Wei Sun, Ting Song, Zi-Jiang Liu, Gui-Xin Wan, Lei Zhang, Wen-Li Chang. Numerical prediction of structural stability and thermodynamic properties for MgF2 with fluorite- type structure under high pressure [J]. Acta Physica Sinica, 2020, 69(15): 156202-1

    Download Citation

    EndNote(RIS)BibTexPlain Text
    Save article for my favorites
    Paper Information

    Category:

    Received: Feb. 26, 2020

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Dec. 30, 2020

    The Author Email:

    DOI:10.7498/aps.69.20200289

    Topics