Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Order- Disorder Phase Transition in Solid NaNO2

Authors

Wei-Guo Yin, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
Chun-Gang Duan, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Wai-Ning Mei, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
Jianjun Liu, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
Robert W. Smith, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
John R. Hardy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2003

Publication Title

Physical Review B

Volume

68

Abstract

We present molecular dynamics simulations of solid NaNO2 using pair potentials with the rigid-ion model. The crystal potential surface is calculated by using an a priori method which integrates the ab initio calculations with the Gordon-Kim electron gas theory. This approach is carefully examined by using different population analysis methods and comparing the intermolecular interactions resulting from this approach with those from the ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations. Our numerics show that the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition in solid NaNO2 is triggered by rotation of the nitrite ions around the crystallographical c axis, in agreement with recent x-ray experiments @Gohda et al., Phys. Rev. B 63, 14101 ~2000!#. The crystal-field effects on the nitrite ion are also addressed. An internal charge-transfer effect is found.

Comments

Published in Phys. Rev. B 68, 174106 (2003). Copyright © 2003 The American Physical Society. Used by permission.

Recommended Citation

Yin, Wei-Guo; Duan, Chun-Gang; Mei, Wai-Ning; Liu, Jianjun; Smith, Robert W.; and Hardy, John R., "Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Order- Disorder Phase Transition in Solid NaNO2" (2003). Physics Faculty Publications. 9.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/physicsfacpub/9