The structural parameters, structural stability and bulk modulus in RE2Sn2O7by first-principles calculations

Abstract

A systematic density functional theory study is performed to investigate the lattice parameters, the internal positional parameter [Formula: see text] and bond length of RE2Sn2O7(RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu) pyrochlores. To analyze the structural stability in extreme conditions and verify whether bond strength varies inversely to bond length in rare-earth stannate pyrochlores, the structural parameter and bonding strength under hydrostatic pressure are studied. The tight connection between the different bond length contraction and the variation of 48[Formula: see text] oxygen positional parameter [Formula: see text] is also discovered. We calculated the bond length and the bulk modulus of RE2Sn2O7and found that the [Formula: see text]RE–O[Formula: see text] bond plays a predominant role in determining the bulk modulus. Meanwhile, the present calculations suggest that the “bimodal effect” also exists in rare-earth stannate pyrochlores.