Pressure effect on the structural, phonon, elastic and thermodynamic properties of L12phase RH3TA: First-principles calculations

Abstract

The phonon, elastic and thermodynamic properties of L12phase Rh3Ta have been investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) approach combined with the quasi-harmonic approximation model. The results of the phonon band structure show that L12phase Rh3Ta possesses dynamical stability in the pressure range from 0–80 GPa due to the absence of imaginary frequencies. The pressure dependences with the elastic constants C[Formula: see text], shear modulus G, bulk modulus B, Young’s modulus Y, Poisson’s ratio and B/G ratio have been analyzed. The results of the elastic properties studies show that L12phase Rh3Ta compound is mechanically stable and possesses a higher hardness, improved ductility and plasticity under higher pressures. The pressure and temperature relationship of the thermodynamic properties, such as the Debye temperature [Formula: see text], heat capacity C[Formula: see text], thermal expansion coefficient [Formula: see text] and the Grüneisen parameter [Formula: see text] are predicted by the quasi-harmonic Debye model in a wide pressure (0–80 GPa) and temperature (0–750 K) ranges.