Ontologies have been proposed as a means towards making data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). This has attracted much interest in several communities and ontologies are being developed. However, to obtain good results when using ontologies in semantically-enabled applications, the ontologies need to be of high quality. One of the quality aspects is that the ontologies should be as complete as possible. In this paper we propose a first version of a tool that supports users in extending ontologies using a phrase-based approach.  To demonstrate the usefulness of our proposed tool, we exemplify the use by extending the Materials Design Ontology.

Ontologies have been proposed as a means towards making data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and has recently attracted much interest in the materials science community. Ontologies for this domain are being developed and one such effort is the Materials Design Ontology. However, to obtain good results when using ontologies in semantically-enabled applications, the ontologies need to be of high quality. One of the quality aspects is that the ontologies should be as complete as possible. In this paper we show preliminary results regarding extending the Materials Design Ontology using a phrase-based topic model.

Due to importance of data FAIRness (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), ontologies as a means to make data FAIR have attracted more and more attention in different communities and are being used in semantically-enabled applications. However, to obtain good results while using ontologies in these applications, high quality ontologies are needed of which completeness is one of the important aspects. An ontology lacking information can lead to missing results. In this paper we present a tool, Phrase2Onto, that supports users in extending ontologies to make the ontologies more complete. It is particularly suited for ontology extension using a phrase-based topic model approach, but the tool can support any extension approach where a user needs to make decisions regarding the appropriateness of using phrases to define new concepts. We describe the functionality of the tool and a user study using Pizza Ontology. The user study showed  a good usability of the system and high task completion. Further, we report on a real application where we extend the Materials Design Ontology.

Ab initio electronic structure theory is known as a useful tool for prediction of materials properties. However, majority of simulations still deal with calculations in the framework of density functional theory with local or semi-local functionals carried out at zero temperature. We present new methodological solution.s, which go beyond this approach and explicitly take finite temperature, magnetic, and many-body effects into account. Considering Ti-based alloys, we discuss !imitations of the quasiharmonic approximation for the treatment of lattice vibrations, and present an accurate and easily extendable method to calculate free ,energies of strongly anharmonic solids. We underline the necessity to going beyond the state-of-the-art techniques for the determination of effective cluster interactions in systems exhibiting mctal-to-insulator transition, and describe a unified cluster expansion approach developed for this class of materials. Finally, we outline a first-principles method, disordered local moments molecular dynamics, for calculations of thermodynamic properties of magnetic alloys, like Cr_1-x,.Al_xN, in their high-temperature paramagnetic state. Our results unambiguously demonstrate importance of finite temperature effects in theoretical calculations ofthermodynamic properties ofmaterials.

We demonstrate the importance of accounting for the complex magnetic ground state and finite temperature magnetic excitations in theoretical simulations of structural and elastic properties of transition metal alloys. Considering Fe₇₂Cr₁₆Ni₁₂ face centered cubic (fcc) alloy, we compare results of first-principles calculations carried out for ferromagnetic and non-magnetic states, as well as for the state with disordered local moments. We show that the latter gives much more accurate description of the elastic properties for paramagnetic alloys. We carry out a determination of the magnetic ground state for fcc Fe-Mn alloys, considering collinear, as well as non-collinear states, and show the sensitively of structural and elastic properties in this system to the detailed alignment between magnetic moments. We therefore conclude that it is essential to develop accurate models of the magnetic state for the predictive description of properties of transition metal alloys.

We report on the results of a systematic ab initio study of the magnetic structure of Fe rich fcc FeNi binary alloys for Ni concentrations up to 50 at. %. Calculations are carried out within density-functional theory using two complementary techniques, one based on the exact muffin-tin orbital theory within the coherent potential approximation and another one based on the projector augmented-wave method. We observe that the evolution of the magnetic structure of the alloy with increasing Ni concentration is determined by a competition between a large number of magnetic states, collinear as well as noncollinear, all close in energy. We emphasize a series of transitions between these magnetic structures, in particular we have investigated a competition between disordered local moment configurations, spin spiral states, the double layer antiferromagnetic state, and the ferromagnetic phase, as well as the ferrimagnetic phase with a single spin flipped with respect to all others. We show that the latter should be particularly important for the understanding of the magnetic structure of the Invar alloys.

We review results of recent combined theoretical and experimental studies of Ti_1−xAl_xN, an archetypical alloy system material for hard-coating applications. Theoretical simulations of lattice parameters, mixing enthalpies, and elastic properties are presented. Calculated phase diagrams at ambient pressure, as well as at pressure of 10 GPa, show a wide miscibility gap and broad region of compositions and temperatures where the spinodal decomposition takes place. The strong dependence of the elastic properties and sound wave anisotropy on the Al-content offers detailed understanding of the spinodal decomposition and age hardening in Ti_1−xAl_xN alloy films and multilayers. TiAlN/TiN multilayers can further improve the hardness and thermal stability compared to TiAlN since they offer means to influence the kinetics of the favorable spinodal decomposition and suppress the detrimental transformation to w-AlN. Here, we show that a 100 degree improvement in terms of w-AlN suppression can be achieved, which is of importance when the coating is used as a protective coating on metal cutting inserts.

We study influence of the local chemical environment, the so-called local environment effects, on the electronic structure and properties of magnetic systems with reduced dimensionality and chemical disorder, and show that they play a crucial role in a vicinity of magnetic instability. As a model, we consider Fe–Ni Invar. We present results obtained from ab initio calculations of the electronic structure, magnetic moments, and exchange interactions in random fcc Fe–Ni alloy, for a single monolayer alloy film on a Cu (0 0 1) substrate as well as in the bulk. We analyze the difference between the film and the bulk magnetization, which is found to be most pronounced for dilute alloys. We also analyze a sensitivity of the individual magnetic moments and effective exchange parameters to the local chemical environment of the atoms.

This book is published in honor of the 2005 Hume-Rothery Award Recipient, Uichiro Mizutani. It emphasizes both theoretical and experimental aspects of electronic, structural, and thermodynamic properties of complex alloy phases. Leading experts provide an assessment of our current understanding of the structural properties of complex materials, including quasicrystalline and amorphous alloys. Special emphasis is placed on our understanding of why nature is able to stabilize complex atomic arrangements and on recent results related to structurally complex alloy phases. These topics, in the spirit of the work carried out by U. Mizutani, constitute the main theme of the book

The exact muffin-tin orbitals (EMTO) method belongs to the third and latest generation of first-principles methods of calculating the electronic structure of materials in the so-called approximation of muffin-tin (MT) orbitals within the framework of the density functional theory. A study has been performed of its applicability for modeling the thermodynamic and mechanical properties of the pure components of Ti and Zr based alloys. The total energies of Ti, Zr, Nb, V, Mo, and Al are calculated in three crystal structures - face-centered cubic (FCC), body-centered cubic (BCC), and hexagonal close-packed (HCP). For all of these elements and crystal structures, we have calculated the theoretical values of the lattice constants, elastic constants, and equations of state. The stable crystal structures have been determined. In all cases, calculations by the EMTO method predict the correct structure of the ground state. For stable structures we compared the obtained results with experiment and with calculations using full potential methods. We have demonstrated the reliability of the EMTO method and conclude that its further application for effective modeling of the properties of disordered alloys based on Ti and Zr is possible.

We discuss theoretical description of pressure-induced phase transitions by means of first-principles calculations in the framework of density functional theory. We illustrate applications of theoretical tools that allow one to take into account configurational and vibrational disorders, considering Ti-V alloys as a model system. The universality of the first-principles theory allows us to apply it in studies of different phenomena that occur in the Ti-V system upon compression. Besides the transitions between different crystal structures, we discuss isostructural transitions in bcc Ti-V alloys. Moreover, we present arguments for possible electronic transitions in this system, which may explain peculiar behaviour of elastic properties of V upon compression.

We review recent developments in the field of first-principles simulations of magnetic materials above the magnetic order disorder transition temperature, focusing mainly on 3d-transition metals, their alloys and compounds. We review theoretical tools, which allow for a description of a system with local moments, which survive, but become disordered in the paramagnetic state, focusing on their advantages and limitations. We discuss applications of these theories for calculations of thermodynamic and mechanical properties of paramagnetic materials. The presented examples include, among others, simulations of phase stability of Fe, Fe-Cr and Fe-Mn alloys, formation energies of vacancies, substitutional and interstitial impurities, as well as their interactions in Fe, calculations of equations of state and elastic moduli for 3d-transition metal alloys and compounds, like CrN and steels. The examples underline the need for a proper treatment of magnetic disorder in these systems. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

It is a well-known fact in the materials science community that the use of low-energy atom impacts during thin film deposition is an effective tool for altering the growth behavior and for increasing the crystallinity of the films. However, the manner in which the incident atoms affect the growth kinetics and surface morphology is quite complicated and still not fully understood. This provides a strong incentive for further investigations of the interaction among incident atoms and surface atoms on the atomic scale. These impact-induced energetic events are non-equilibrium, transient processes which complete in picoseconds. The only accessible technique today which permits direct observation of these events is molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

This thesis deals with MD simulations of low-energy atom impact phenomena on metal surfaces during crystal growth. Platinum is chosen as a model system given that it has seen extended use as a model surface over the past few decades, both in experiments and simulations. In MD, the classical equations of motion are solved numerically for a set of interacting atoms. The atomic interactions are calculated using the embedded atom method (EAM). The EAM is a semi-empirical, pair-functional interatomic potential based on density functional theory. This potential provides a physical picture that includes many-atom effects while retaining computational efficiency needed for larger systems.

Single adatoms residing on a surface constitute the smallest possible clusters and are the fundamental components controlling nucleation kinetics. Small two-dimensional clusters on a surface are the result of nucleation and are present during the early stages of growth. These surface structures are chosen as targets in the simulations (papers I and II) to provide further knowledge of the atomistic processes which occur during deposition, to investigate at which impact energies the different kinetic pathways open up, and how they may affect growth behavior. Some of the events observed are adatom scattering, dimer formation, cluster disruption, formation of three-dimensional clusters, and residual vacancy formation. Given the knowledge obtained, papers III and IV deal with growth of several layers with the aim to study the underlying mechanisms responsible for altering growth behavior and how the overall intra- and interlayer atomic migration can be controlled by low-energy atom impacts.

We employ multibillion time step embedded-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the homoepitaxial growth of Pt(111) from hyperthermal Pt atoms (EPt=0.2–50eV) using deposition fluxes approaching experimental conditions. Calculated antiphase diffraction intensity oscillations, based on adatom coverages as a function of time, reveal a transition from a three-dimensional multilayer growth mode with EPt<20eV to a layer-by-layer growth with EPt≥20eV. We isolate the effects of irradiation-induced processes and thermally activated mass transport during deposition in order to identify the mechanisms responsible for promoting layer-by-layer growth. Direct evidence is provided to show that the observed transition in growth modes is primarily due to irradiation-induced processes which occur during the 10ps following the arrival of each hyperthermal atom. The kinetic pathways leading to the transition involve both enhanced intralayer and interlayer adatom transport, direct incorporation of energetic atoms into clusters, and cluster disruption leading to increased terrace supersaturation.

Embedded-atom molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the effects of low-energy (5–50 eV) normally-incident self-ion irradiation of two-dimensional compact Pt3, Pt7, Pt19, and Pt37 clusters on Pt(111). We follow atomistic pathways leading to bombardment-induced intra- and interlayer mass transport. The results can be described in terms of three impact energy regimes. With E ≤ 20 eV, we observe an increase in 2D island dimensions and negligible residual point defect formation. As the impact energy is raised above 20 eV, we observe an increase in irradiation-induced lateral mass transport, a decrease in island size, and the activation of interlayer processes. For E ≥ 35 eV, this trend continues, but point defects, in the form of surface vacancies, are also formed. The results illustrate the richness of the dynamical interaction mechanisms occurring among incident energetic species, target clusters, and substrate atoms, leading to island preservation, reconfiguration, disruption and/or residual point defects formation. We discuss the significance of these results in terms of thin film growth.

Embedded-atom molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effects of low-energy self-ion irradiation of Pt adatoms on Pt(111). Here, we concentrate on self-bombardment dynamics, i.e., isolating and monitoring the atomic processes, induced by normally incident Pt atoms with energies E ranging from 5 to 50 eV, that can affect intra- and interlayer mass transport.. We find that adatom scattering, surface channeling, and dimer formation occur at all energies. Atomic intermixing events involving incident and terrace atoms are observed at energies 15  eV, while the collateral formation of residual surface vacancies is observed only with E>40  eV. The overall effect of low-energy self-ion irradiation is to enhance lateral adatom and terrace atom migration. ©2005 American Institute of Physics

We present calculations of structural and magnetic properties of the iron-pnictide superconductor LaFeAsO including electron-electron correlations. For this purpose we apply a fully charge self-consistent combination of density-functional theory with the dynamical mean-field theory, allowing for the calculation of total energies. We find that the inclusion of correlation effects gives a good agreement of the arsenic z position with experimental data even in the paramagnetic (high-temperature) phase. Going to low temperatures, we study the formation of the ordered moment in the striped spin-density-wave phase, yielding an ordered moment of about 0.60 mu(B), again in good agreement with experiments. This shows that the inclusion of correlation effects improves both structural and magnetic properties of LaFeAsO at the same time.

Chemical reactions between dysprosium and carbon were studied in laser-heated diamond anvil cells at pressures of 19, 55, and 58 GPa and temperatures of similar to 2500 K. In situ single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis of the reaction products revealed the formation of novel dysprosium carbides, Dy4C3 and Dy3C2, and dysprosium sesquicarbide Dy2C3 previously known only at ambient conditions. The structure of Dy4C3 was found to be closely related to that of dysprosium sesquicarbide Dy2C3 with the Pu2C3-type structure. Ab initio calculations reproduce well crystal structures of all synthesized phases and predict their compressional behavior in agreement with our experimental data. Our work gives evidence that high-pressure synthesis conditions enrich the chemistry of rare earth metal carbides.

Exploring the chemistry of materials at high pressure leads to discoveries of previously unknown compounds and phenomena. Here chemical reactions between elemental dysprosium and carbon were studied in laser-heated diamond anvil cells at pressures up to 95 GPa and temperatures of similar to 2800 K. In situ single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis of the reaction products revealed the formation of novel dysprosium carbides, gamma-DyC2, Dy5C9, and gamma-Dy4C5, along with previously reported Dy3C2 and Dy4C3 . The crystal structures of gamma-DyC (2) and Dy (5) C (9) feature infinite flat carbon polyacene-like ribbons and cis-polyacetylene-type chains, respectively. In the structure of gamma-Dy4C5, carbon atoms form dimers and non-linear trimers. Dy3C2 contains ethanide-type carbon dumbbells, and Dy4C3 is methanide featuring single carbon atoms. Density functional theory calculations reproduce well the crystal structures of high-pressure dysprosium carbides and reveal conjugated pi-electron systems in novel infinite carbon polyanions. This work demonstrates that complex carbon homoatomic species previously unknown in organic chemistry can be synthesized at high pressures by direct reactions of carbon with metals.

This thesis is a theoretical study of configurational and magnetic interactions in multicomponent solids. These interactions are the projections onto the configurational and magnetic degrees of freedom of the underlying electronic quantum mechanical system, and can be used to model, explain and predict the properties of materials. For example, the interactions govern temperature induced configurational and magnetic order-disorder transitions in Heusler alloys and ternary nitrides.

In particular three perspectives are studied. The first is how the interactions can be derived from first-principles calculations at relevant physical conditions. The second is their consequences, like the critical temperatures for disordering, obtained with e.g. Monte Carlo simulations. The third is their origin in terms of the underlying electronic structure of the materials.

Intrinsic defects in the half-Heusler system NiMnSb are studied and it is found that low-energy defects do not destroy the important half-metallic property at low concentrations. Deliberate doping of NiMnSb with 3d-metals is considered and it is found that replacing some Ni with extra Mn or Cr creates new strong magnetic interactions which could be beneficial for applications at elevated temperature. A self-consistent scheme to include the effects of thermal expansion and one-electron excitations in the calculation of the magnetic critical temperature is introduced and applied to a study of Ni_1−xCu_xMnSb.

A supercell implementation of the disordered local moments approach is suggested and benchmarked for the treatment of paramagnetic CrN as a disordered magnetic phase. It is found that the orthorhombic-to-cubic phase transition in this nitride can be understood as a first-order magnetic order-disorder transition. The ferromagnetism in Ti_1−xCr_xN solid solutions, an unusual property in nitrides, is explained in terms of a charge transfer induced change in the Cr-Cr magnetic interactions.

Cubic Ti_1−xA_lxN solid solutions displays a complex and concentration dependent phase separation tendency. A unified cluster expansion method is presented that can be used to simulate the configurational thermodynamics of this system. It is shown that short range clustering do influence the free energy of mixing but only slightly change the isostructural phase diagram as compared to mean-field estimates.

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First-principles calculations are used to investigate the magnetic properties of Ti_1‑xCr_xN solid solutions. We show that the magnetic interactions between Cr spins that favor antiferromagnetism in CrN is changed upon alloying with TiN leading to the appearance of ferromagnetism in the system at approximately x≤0.50 in agreement with experimental reports. Furthermore we suggest that this effect originates in an electron density redistribution from Ti to Cr that decreases the polarization of Crd states with t_2g symmetry while it increases the polarization of Crd states with e_g symmetry, both changes working in favor of ferromagnetism.

We have performed a theoretical study of the effect of doping the half-Heusler alloy NiMnSb with the magnetic 3d metals Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, with respect to both energetics and magnetic properties. Starting from the formation energies, we discuss the possibility of placing the dopant on different crystallographic positions in the alloy. We calculate total and local magnetic moments, effective exchange interactions, and density of states and also outline strategies to tune the magnetic properties of the alloy. Doping of NiMnSb with Cr as well as substituting some Ni with extra Mn have the largest impact on magnetic interactions in the system while preserving its half-metallic property. Therefore, we suggest the possibility that these dopants increase the thermal stability of half-metallicity in NiMnSb, with implications for its possible usage in spintronics applications.

The stability of rock salt structure cubic Cr1-xAlxN solid solutions at high Al content and high temperature has made it one of the most important materials systems for protective coating applications. We show that the strong electron correlations in a material with dynamic magnetic disorder is the underlying reason for the observed stability against isostructural decomposition. This is done by using the first-principles disordered local moments molecular dynamics technique, which allows us to simultaneously consider electronic, magnetic, and vibrational degrees of freedom.

Transition metal diborides are ceramic materials with potential applications as hard protective thin films and electrical contact materials. We investigate the possibility to obtain age hardening through isostructural clustering, including spinodal decomposition, or ordering-induced precipitation in ternary diboride alloys. By means of first-principles mixing thermodynamics calculations, 45 ternary (M1-xMxB2)-M-1-B-2 alloys comprising (MB2)-B-i (M-i = Mg, Al, Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta) with AlB2 type structure are studied. In particular Al1-xTixB2 is found to be of interest for coherent isostructural decomposition with a strong driving force for phase separation, while having almost concentration independent a and c lattice parameters. The results are explained by revealing the nature of the electronic structure in these alloys, and in particular, the origin of the pseudogap at E-F in TiB2, ZrB2, and HfB2.

The mixing thermodynamics of GdN with TiN, ZrN, and HfN is studied using first-principles methods. We find that while Ti(1-x)Gd(x)N has a strong preference for phase separation due to the large lattice mismatch, Zr(1-x)Gd(x)N and Hf(1-x)Gd(x)N readily mix, possibly in the form of ordered compounds. In particular, ZrGdN(2) is predicted to order in a rocksalt counterpart to the L1(1) structure at temperatures below 1020 K. These mixed nitrides are promising candidates as neutron absorbing, thermally and chemically stable, thin film materials.

The phenomenon of superhardening in TiN/SiNx nanocomposites and the prediction of extreme hardness in bulk gamma-Si3N4 have attracted a large interest to this material system. Attempts to explain the experimental findings by means of first-principles calculations have so far been limited to static calculations. The dynamical stability of suggested structures of the SiNx tissue phase critical for the understanding of the nanocomposites is thus unknown. Here, we present a theoretical study of the phonon-dispersion relations of B1 and B3 SiN. We show that both phases previously considered as metastable are dynamically unstable. Instead, two pseudo-B3 Si3N4 phases derived from a L1(2)- or D0(22)-type distribution of Si vacancies are dynamically stable and might explain recent experimental findings of epitaxial SiNx in TiN/SiNx multilayers.

We have used first-principles calculations to investigate the mixing enthalpies, lattice parameters and electronic density of states of the ternary nitride systems Ti1-xAlxN, Cr1-xAlxN, Sc1-xAlxN and Hf1-xAlxN in the cubic B1 structure where the transition metals and aluminium form a solid solution on the metal sublattice. We discuss the electronic origins of the possible isostructural decomposition in these materials relevant for hard coatings applications. We find that in the systems Ti1-xAlxN and Hf1-xAlxN the electronic structure effects strongly influences the phase stability as d-states are localised at the Fermi level in AlN-rich samples. This leads to a strongly asymmetric contribution to the mixing enthalpy, an effect not present in Cr1-xAlxN and Sc1-xAlxN. The lattice mismatch is large in Sc1-xAlxN and Hf1-xAlxN, giving a symmetric contribution to the mixing enthalpies in those systems.

  The effect of nitrogen substoichiometry on the isostructural phase stabilities of the cubic Ti_1−xAl_xN_1−y system has been investigated using first-principles calculations. The preferred isostructural decomposition pattern in these metastable solid solutions was predicted from the total energy calculations on a dense concentration grid. Close to the stoichiometric Ti_1−xAl_xN₁ limit, N vacancies increase the tendency for phase separation as N sticks to Al while the vacancies prefers Ti neighbors. For nitrogen depleated conditions, N sticks to Ti forming TiN (0<<1) while Al tends to form nitrogen-free fcc-Al or Al–Ti alloys.

First-principles calculations are employed to investigate the stability and properties of cubic rock-salt like (Cr_1−xAl_x)₂O₃ solid solutions, stabilized by metal site vacancies as recently reported experimentally. It is demonstrated that the metal site vacancies can indeed be ordered in a way that gives rise to a favorable coordination of all O atoms in the lattice. B1-like structures with ordered and disordered metal site vacancies are studied for (Cr_0.5Al_0.5)₂O₃ and found to a have cubic lattice spacing close to the values reported experimentally, in contrast to fluorite-like and perovskite structures. The obtained B1-like structures are higher in energy than corundum solid solutions for all compositions, but with an energy offset per atom similar to other metastable systems possible to synthesize with physical vapor deposition techniques. The obtained electronic structures show that the B1-like systems are semiconducting although with smaller band gaps than the corundum structure.

First-principles calculations are employed to investigate the stability and properties of cubic rock-salt-like (Cr_1−xAl_x)₂O₃ solid solutions, stabilized by metal site vacancies as recently reported experimentally. It is demonstrated that the metal site vacancies can indeed be ordered in a way that gives rise to a suitable fourfold coordination of all O atoms in the lattice. B1-like structures with ordered and disordered metal site vacancies are studied for (Cr_0.5Al_0.5)₂O₃ and found to have a cubic lattice spacing close to the values reported experimentally, in contrast to fluorite-like and perovskite structures. The obtained B1-like structures are higher in energy than corundum solid solutions for all compositions, but with an energy offset per atom similar to other metastable systems possible to synthesize with physical vapor deposition techniques. The obtained electronic structures show that the B1-like systems are semiconducting although with smaller band gaps than the corundum structure.

We study the impact of lattice vibrations on magnetic and electronic properties of paramagnetic bcc and fcc iron at finite temperature, employing the disordered local moments molecular dynamics (DLM-MD) method. Vibrations strongly affect the distribution of local magnetic moments at finite temperature, which in turn correlates with the local atomic volumes. Without the explicit consideration of atomic vibrations, the mean local magnetic moment and mean field derived magnetic entropy of paramagnetic bcc Fe are larger compared to paramagnetic fcc Fe, which would indicate that the magnetic contribution stabilizes the bcc phase at high temperatures. In the present study we show that this assumption is not valid when the coupling between vibrations and magnetism is taken into account. At the gamma-delta transition temperature (1662 K), the lattice distortions cause very similar magnetic moments of both bcc and fcc structures and hence magnetic entropy contributions. This finding can be traced back to the electronic densities of states, which also become increasingly similar between bcc and fcc Fe with increasing temperature. Given the sensitive interplay of the different physical excitation mechanisms, our results illustrate the need for an explicit consideration of vibrational disorder and its impact on electronic and magnetic properties to understand paramagnetic Fe. Furthermore, they suggest that at the gamma-delta transition temperature electronic and magnetic contributions to the Gibbs free energy are extremely similar in bcc and fcc Fe.

Two different methods for the modeling of a magnetically disordered CrN stateusing a supercell approach are investigated. They are found to give equivalentresults of the total energy, being also similar to results obtained with an effectivemedium approach. Furthermore, CrN is shown to be better described using aLDA+U framework for the treatment of electron-electron correlations as comparedto GGA or LDA calculations. Modeling the cubic paramagnetic phase with ourmodels for magnetic disorder and considering the strong electron correlations, thetemperature and pressure induced phase transitions in CrN can be explained.

In this comment we show that the main conclusion in a previous article, claiminga drastic increase in compressibility of CrN at the cubic to orthorhombic phasetransition, is unsupported by first-principles calculations. We show that if thecubic CrN phase is considered as a disordered magnetic material, as supported bydifferent experimental data, rather then non-magnetic, the bulk modulus is almostunaffected by the transition.

In order to investigate the stability of the cubic phase of Cr_1−xAl_xN at high AlN content, first principles calculations of magnetic properties, lattice parameters, electronic structure, and mixing enthalpies of the system were performed. The mixing enthalpy was calculated on a fine concentration mesh to make possible the accurate determination of its second concentration derivative. The results are compared to calculations performed for the related compound Ti_1−xAl_xN and with experiments. The mixing enthalpy is discussed in the context of isostructural spinodal decomposition. It is shown that the magnetism is the key to understand the difference between the Cr- and Ti-containing systems. Cr_1−xAl_xN turns out to be more stable against spinodal decomposition than Ti_1−xAl_xN, especially for AlN-rich samples which are of interest in cutting tools applications.

The influence of pressure on the phase stabilities of Ti_1−xAl_xN solid solutions has been studied using first principles calculations. We find that the application of hydrostatic pressure enhances the tendency for isostructural decomposition, including spinodal decomposition. The effect originates in the gradual pressure stabilization of cubic AlN with respect to the wurtzite structure and an increased isostructural cubic mixing enthalpy with increased pressure. The influence is sufficiently strong in the composition-temperature interval corresponding to a shoulder of the spinodal line that it could impact the stability of the material at pressures achievable in the tool-work piece contact during cutting operations

We demonstrate the importance of thermal effects such as temperature-induced electronic, magnetic and vibrational excitations, as well as structural defects in the first-principles calculations of the magnetic critical temperature of complex alloys using half-Heusler Ni1-xCuxMnSb alloys as a case study. The thermal lattice expansion and one-electron excitations have been accounted for self-consistently in the Curie temperature calculations. In the Ni-rich region, electronic excitations, thermal expansion, and structural defects substantially decrease the calculated Curie temperature. At the same time, some defects are shown to increase T-C in Cu-rich samples.

We use a study of the cubic Ti1−xAlxN system to illustrate a practical way of combining the major methodologies within alloy theory, the Connolly-Williams cluster expansion and the generalized perturbation method, in order to solve difficult alloy problems. The configurational, concentration dependent, Hamiltonian is separated into a fixed-lattice and a local lattice relaxation part. The effective cluster interactions of the first part is obtained primarily with a GPM-based approach while the later is obtained using cluster expansion. In our case the impact on the isostructural phase diagram of considering short range clustering beyond the mean field approximation, obtained from the mixing enthalpy and entropy of the random alloy, is rather small, especially in the composition region x ≤ 0.66, within reach of thin film growth techniques.

Wedescribe an efficient first-principles method that can be used tocalculate mixing enthalpies of transition metal nitrides with B1 structureand substitutional disorder at the metal sublattice. The technique isbased on the density functional theory. The independent sublattice modelis suggested for the treatment of disorder-induced local lattice relaxationeffects. It supplements the description of the substitutional disorder withinthe coherent potential approximation. We demonstrate the excellent accuracy ofthe method by comparison with calculations performed by means ofthe projector augumented wave method on supercells constructed as specialquasirandom structures. At the same time, the efficiency of thetechnique allows for total energy calculations on a very finemesh of concentrations which enables a reliable calculation of thesecond concentration derivative of the alloy total energy. This isa first step towards first-principles predictions of concentrations and temperatureintervals where the alloy decomposition proceeds via the spinodal mechanism.We thus calculate electronic structure, lattice parameter, and mixing enthalpiesof the quasibinary alloy c-Ti_1−xAl_xN. The lattice parameter follows Vegard'slaw at low fractions of AlN but deviates increasingly withincreasing Al content. We show that the asymmetry of themixing enthalpy and its second concentration derivative is associated withsubstantial variations of the electronic structure with alloy composition. Thephase diagram is constructed within the mean-field approximation.