First Principles Study of Structural, Elastic, Electronic and Optical Features of the Non-centrosymmetric Superconductors SrMGe3 (Where M= Ir, Pt, and Pd)

Abstract

BaNiSn3-type superconductors SrIrGe3, SrPdGe3, and SrPtGe3 have a critical temperature of 1.80 K, 1.49K and 1.0K respectively have been reported recently. Employing the first-principles method based on the density functional theory, we have examined the physical properties including structural, elastic, electronic, and optical phenomena of all these structures. For all the phases our optimized lattice parameters are well accord to the experimental lattice parameters. The positive elastic constants of these compounds revealed that these superconductors possess mechanical stability in nature. The values of Pugh’s ratio and Poisson’s ratio ensured the brittle manner of these compounds and anisotropic behavior is ensured by the values of anisotropy factor. The soft nature of all compounds is confirmed by the bulk modulus analysis. The values of Vickers's hardness indicate that the rigidity decreased in the order of SrIrGe3>SrPtGe3>SrPdGe3. The overlapping of the conduction band and valence band at Fermi level indicates the zero band gaps and metallic nature of SrIrGe3, SrPdGe3, and SrPtGe3. The chief contribution around the Fermi level arises from Ir-5d, Ge-4s, 4p states for SrIrGe3 and Ge-4s, 4p states for SrPdGe3 and Pt-5d, Ge-4s, 4p for SrPtGe3 compound. The study of DOS, Mulliken atomic populations, and charge density ensured the existence of complex bonding in SrIrGe3, SrPdGe3, and SrPtGe3 with ionic, covalent, and metallic characteristics. The analysis of the dielectric function also ensured the metallic behavior of all these compounds.