A pressure-induced high-pressure metallic GeTe phase

Abstract

As an important phase-change material, GeTe has many high-pressure phases as well, but its phase transitions under pressure are still lack of clarity. It is challenging to identify high-pressure GeTe crystal structures owing to the phase coexistence in a wide pressure range and the reversibility of phase transitions. Hence, first-principles calculations are required to provide further information in addition to limited experimental characterizations. In this work, a new orthorhombic Cmca GeTe high-pressure phase has been predicted via the CALYPSO method as the most energetically favorable phase in the pressure range between ∼30 and ∼38.5 GPa, which would update the GeTe high-pressure phase transition sequence. The crystal structure of the Cmca phase is composed of alternate stacking puckered layers of Ge six-membered rings and Te four-membered rings along the b direction. The high density of states near the Fermi level and delocalization of electrons from the two-dimensional electron localization function indicate a strong metallic property of the Cmca phase. Electron–phonon coupling calculations indicate that the Cmca phase is superconductive below ∼4.2 K at 35 GPa. The simulated x-ray diffraction pattern of the Cmca phase implies that this phase might coexist with the Pnma-boat phase under high pressure. These results offer further understanding on the high-pressure structural evolution and physical properties in GeTe and other IV–VI semiconductors.