Room-temperature Raman scattering was measured in ZnWO4 up to 45 GPa. We report the pressure dependence of all the Raman-active phonons of the low-pressure wolframite phase. As pressure increases new Raman peaks appear at 30.6 GPa due to the onset of a reversible structural phase transition to a distorted monoclinic b-fergusonite-type phase. The low- and high-pressure phases coexist from 30.6 GPa to 36.5 GPa. In addition to the Raman measurements we also report ab initio total-energy and lattice-dynamics calculations for the two phases. These calculations helped us to determine the crystalline structure of the high-pressure phase and to assign the observed Raman modes in both the wolframite and b-fergusonite phases. Based upon the ab initio calculations we propose the occurrence of a second phase transition at 57.6 GPa from the b-fergusonite phase to an orthorhombic Cmca phase. The pressure evolution of the lattice parameters and the atomic positions of wolframite ZnWO4 are also theoretically calculated and an equation of state reported.
Ab initio Perturbed Ion cluster-in-the-lattice calculations of the impurity centers NaI:Tl+ and CsI:Tl+ are pressented. We study several active clusters of increasing complexity and show that the lattice relaxation around the Tl+ impurity implies the concerted movement of several shells of neighbors. The results also reveal the importance of considering a set of ions that can respond to the geometrical displacements of the inner shells by adapting selfconsistently their wave functions. Comparison with other calculations involving comparatively small active clusters serves to assert the signifi…
We present it ab-initio calculations of the non-resonant Raman spectra of zigzag and armchair BN nanotubes. In comparison, we implement a generalized bond-polarizability model where the parameters are extracted from first-principles calculations of the polarizability tensor of a BN sheet. For light-polarization along the tube-axis, the agreement between model and it ab-initio spectra is almost perfect. For perpendicular polarization, depolarization effects have to be included in the model in order to reproduce the it ab-initio Raman intensities.
Raman spectra of thin solid electrolyte films obtained by sputtering a lithium sulfate target in nitrogen plasma are measured and compared to ab initio electronic structure calculations for clusters composed of 28 atoms. Agreement between measured and calculated spectra is obtained when oxygen atoms are replaced by nitrogen atoms and when the nitrogen atoms form bonds with each other. This suggests that the incorporation of nitrogen during the sputtering process leads to structures in the film, which prevent crystallization of these thin film salt glasses.
We study the Raman spectrum of CrI$_3$, a material that exhibits magnetism in a single-layer. We employ first-principles calculations within density functional theory to determine the effects of polarization, strain, and incident angle on the phonon spectra of the 3D bulk and the single-layer 2D structure, for both the high- and low-temperature crystal structures. Our results are in good agreement with existing experimental measurements and serve as a guide for additional investigations to elucidate the physics of this interesting material.
We propose a (three-dimension) -> (one-dimension) shift of paradigm for basic understanding of Raman spectra of random Si-Ge. Fair contour modeling of Raman spectra is achieved along the linear chain approximation via 1D-cluster version of the phenomenological Percolation scheme, originally developed for zincblende alloys, after ab initio calibration of the intrinsic Si-Si, Ge-Ge and Si-Ge Raman efficiencies. The 1D-cluster scheme introduces a seven-oscillator [1x(Ge-Ge), 4x(Si-Ge), 2x(Si-Si)] Raman behavior for SiGe, which considerably deviates from the currently admitted six-oscillator [1x(G…
We present an \textit{ab initio} study based on density-functional theory of first- and second-order Raman spectra of graphene-based materials with different stacking arrangements and numbers of layers. Going from monolayer and bilayer graphene to periodic graphitic structures, we investigate the behavior of the first-order G-band and of the second-order 2D-band excited by the same set of photon energies. The former turns out to be very similar in all considered graphene-based materials, while in the latter we find the signatures of individual structures. With a systematic analysis of the seco…
The presence of electron energy loss (EELS) peak is proposed theoretically in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets. Using density functional theory simulations and calculations, one EELS peak is identified in the visible energy range, for MoS2 nanosheets with molybdenum vacancy. Experimentally, four different laser sources are used for the Raman scattering study of MoS2 nanosheets, which show two distinct Raman peaks, one at 385 cm-1 (E12g) and the other at 408 cm-1 (A1g). In the cases of three laser sources with wavelengths 405 nm (3.06 eV), 632 nm (1.96 eV) and 785 nm (1.58 eV), respective…
We report on the phonon dynamics of LiYF4 obtained by direct method using first principle calculations. The agreement between experimental and calculated modes is satisfactory. An inversion between two Raman active modes is noticed compared to inelastic neutron scattering and Raman measurements. The atomic displacements corresponding to these modes are discussed. Multiple inversions between Raman and infrared active groups are present above 360 cm-1. The total and partial phonon density of state is also calculated and analyzed.
Recently, phonons with chirality (chiral phonons) have attracted significant attention. Chiral phonons exhibit angular and pseudo-angular momenta. In circularly polarized Raman spectroscopy, the peak split of the $Γ_3$ mode is detectable along the principal axis of the chiral crystal in the backscattering configuration. In addition, peak splitting occurs when the pseudo-angular momenta of the incident and scattered circularly polarized light are reversed. Until now, chiral phonons in binary crystals have been observed, whereas those in unary crystals have not been observed. Here, we observe ch…
We formalize within the percolation scheme, that operates along the linear chain approximation, namely at one dimension (1D), an intrinsic ability behind Raman scattering to achieve a quantitative insight into local clustering or anticlustering in an alloy, using SiGe as a case study. For doing so, we derive general expressions of the individual fractions of the six SiGe percolation-type oscillators [1(Ge-Ge), 3(Si-Ge), 2(Si-Si)], which monitor directly the Raman intensities, via a relevant order parameter k. This is introduced by adapting to the 1D oscillators of the SiGe diamond version of t…
Quantum-mechanical ab initio calculations are performed to elucidate the vibrational spectroscopic features of a common irradiation-induced defect in diamond, i.e. the neutral vacancy. Raman spectra are computed analytically through a Coupled-Perturbed-Hartree-Fock/Kohn-Sham approach as a function of both different defect spin states and defect concentration. The experimental Raman features of defective diamond located in the 400-1300 cm-1 spectral range, i.e. below the first-order line of pristine diamond at 1332 cm-1 , are well reproduced, thus corroborating the picture according to which, a…
Raman spectra obtained by the inelastic scattering of light by crystalline solids contain contributions from first-order vibrational processes (e.g. the emission or absorption of one phonon, a quantum of vibration) as well as higher-order processes with at least two phonons being involved. At second order, coupling with the entire phonon spectrum induces a response that may strongly depend on the excitation energy, and reflects complex processes more difficult to interpret. In particular, excitons (i.e. bound electron-hole pairs) may enhance the absorption and emission of light, and couple str…
The unique electronic and magnetic properties of Lanthanides molecular complexes place them at the forefront of the race towards high-temperature single-ion magnets and magnetic quantum bits. The design of compounds of this class has so far been almost exclusively driven by static crystal field considerations, with emphasis on increasing the magnetic anisotropy barrier. This guideline has now reached its maximum potential and new progress can only come from a deeper understanding of spin-phonon relaxation mechanisms. In this work we compute relaxation times fully ab initio and unveil the natur…
We present ab-initio density functional (DFT) calculations of the vibrational spectra of neutral Magnesium phthalocyanine (MgPc) molecule and of its Raman scattering intensities.
We develop a general, fully quantum mechanical theory of Raman scattering from first principles in terms of many-body correlation functions. In order to arrive at expressions that are practically useful in the context of condensed matter physics, we adopt the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formula from high-energy physics and formulate in the modern language of many-body perturbation theory. This enables us to derive a general and practically useful expression for the Raman scattering rate in terms of quantities that can be computed \textit{ab initio}. Our work paves the way toward a co…
Raman spectroscopy is frequently used to identify composition, structure and layer thickness of 2D materials. Here, we describe an efficient first-principles workflow for calculating resonant first-order Raman spectra of solids within third-order perturbation theory employing a localized atomic orbital basis set. The method is used to obtain the Raman spectra of 733 different monolayers selected from the computational 2D materials database (C2DB). We benchmark the computational scheme against available experimental data for 15 known monolayers. Furthermore, we propose an automatic procedure fo…
Efficient "on-the-fly" calculation of Raman spectra from \textit{ab-initio} molecular dynamics: Application to hydrophobic/hydrophilic solutes in bulk water
The (Cd, Be)Te semiconductor alloy that exhibits a dramatic mismatch in bond covalency and stiffness clarifying its vibrational and mechanical properties is used as a benchmark to test the limits of the percolation model (PM) worked out to explain the complex Raman spectra of the related but less contrasted (Zn, Be) chalcogenides. The test is done by way of experiment (x smaller than 0.11) combining Raman scattering with X ray diffraction at high pressure and ab initio calculations (x around 0, 0.5 and 1). The (macroscopic) bulk modulus B drops below the CdTe value on minor Be incorporation, a…
Using an {\it ab initio} approach, we report a phonon soft mode in the tetragonal structure described by the space group $I4_{1}22$ of the $1$ K $5d$ superconductor Cd$_2$Re$_2$O$_7$. It induces an orthorhombic distortion to a crystal structure described by the space group $F222$ which hosts the superconducting state. This new phase has a lower total energy than the other known crystal structures of Cd$_2$Re$_2$O$_7$. Comprehensive temperature dependent Raman scattering experiments on isotope enriched samples, $^{116}$Cd$_2$Re$_2{^{18}}$O$_7$, not only confirm the already known structural phas…
We carry out large scale {\sl ab initio} calculations of Raman scattering activities and Raman-active frequencies (RAFs) in ${\rm C}_{48}{\rm N}_{12}$ aza-fullerene. The results are compared with those of ${\rm C}_{60}$. Twenty-nine non-degenerate polarized and 29 doubly-degenerate unpolarized RAFs are predicted for ${\rm C}_{48}{\rm N}_{12}$. The RAF of the strongest Raman signal in the low- and high-frequency regions and the lowest and highest RAFs for ${\rm C}_{48}{\rm N}_{12}$ are almost the same as those of ${\rm C}_{60}$. The study of ${\rm C}_{60}$ reveals the importance of electron cor…
We study anharmonic effects in MgB2 by comparing Inelastic X-ray and Ramanscattering together with ab-initio calculations. Using high statistics and high q resolution measurements we show that the E2g mode linewidth is independent of temperature along Gamma-A. We show, contrary to previous claims, that the Raman-peak energy decreases as a function of increasing temperature, a behaviour inconsistent with all the anharmonic ab-initio calculations of the E2g mode at Gamma available in literature. These findings and the excellent agreement between the X-ray measured and ab-initio calculated phonon…
The Raman spectrum and particularly the Raman scattering intensities of monoclinic $β\text{-Ga}_2\text{O}_3$ are investigated by experiment and theory. The low symmetry of $β\text{-Ga}_2\text{O}_3$ results in a complex dependence of the Raman intensity for the individual phonon modes on the scattering geometry which is additionally affected by birefringence. We measured the Raman spectra in dependence on the polarization direction for backscattering on three crystallographic planes of $β\text{-Ga}_2\text{O}_3$ and modeled these dependencies using a modified Raman tensor formalism which takes b…
Near-forward Raman scattering combined with ab initio phonon and bond length calculations is used to study the phonon-polariton transverse optical modes (with mixed electrical and mechanical character) of the II-VI ZnSeS mixed crystal under pressure. The goal of the study is to determine the pressure dependence of the poorly resolved percolation-type Zn-S Raman doublet of the three oscillator [1(Zn-Se),2(Zn-S)] ZnSe68S32 mixed crystal, which exhibits a phase transition at approximately the same pressure as its two end compounds (~14 GPa, zincblende-to-rocksalt), as determined by high-pressure …
Based on density functional perturbation theory, we have studied the vibrational properties of three crystalline phases of tellurium dioxide: paratellurite alpha-TeO2, tellurite beta-TeO2, and the new phase gamma-TeO2, recently identified experimentally. Calculated Raman and IR spectra are in good agreement with available experimental data. The vibrational spectra of alpha- and beta-TeO2 can be interpreted in terms of vibrations of TeO2 molecular units.
We report an investigation of DyScO3 and GdScO3 single crystals by Raman scattering in various scattering configurations and at various wavelengths. The Raman spectra are well-defined and the reported spectral signature together with the mode assignment sets the basis for the use of Raman scattering for the investigation of RE-scandates. The observed positions of Raman modes for DyScO3 are for most bands in reasonable agreement with recent theoretical ab initio predictions of the vibrational spectrum for the same material. Further to the phonon signature, a luminescence signal is observed for …
We report a systematic investigation of orthorhombic perovskite-type RCrO3 powder samples by Raman scattering for nine different rare earth R3+ cations (R = Y, La, Pr, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Yb, Lu). The room-temperature Raman spectra and the associated phonon mode assignment provide reference data for structural investigation of the whole series of RCrO3 orthochromites and phonon ab-initio calculations. The assignment of the chromite spectra and comparison with Raman data on other orthorhombic perovskites allows correlating the phonon modes with the structural distortions in the RCrO3 series. In par…
We have studied Zn(CN)2 at high pressure using Raman spectroscopy, and report Gruneisen parameters of the soft phonons. The phonon frequencies and eigen vectors obtained from ab-initio calculations are used for the assignment of the observed phonon spectra. Out of the eleven zone-centre optical modes, six modes exhibit negative Gruneisen parameter. The calculations suggest that the soft phonons correspond to the librational and translational modes of CN rigid unit, with librational modes contributing more to thermal expansion. A rapid disordering of the lattice is found above 1.6 GPa from X-ra…
High-pressure phase of boron oxide, orthorhombic \b{eta}-B2O3, has been studied in situ by synchrotron X-ray diffraction to 22 GPa and Raman scattering to 46 GPa at room temperature. The bulk modulus of \b{eta}-B2O3 has been found to be 169(3) GPa that is in good agreement with our ab initio calculations. Raman and IR spectra of \b{eta}-B2O3 have been measured at ambient pressure, all experimentally observed bands have been attributed to the theoretically calculated ones, and the mode assignment has been performed. Based on the data on Raman shift as a function of pressure, combined with equat…
We present a technique for extracting Raman intensities from ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at high temperature. The method is applied to the highly anharmonic case of dense hydrogen up to 500 K for pressures ranging from 180 GPa to 300 GPa. On heating or pressurizing we find first-order phase transitions at the experimental conditions of the phase III - IV boundary. Direct comparison of Raman vibrons with experiment provides excellent discrimination between subtly different structures, found in MD. We find candidate structures whose Raman spectra are in good agreement with expe…
In this work, we investigate calcium titanate (CaTiO3 - CTO) using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy up to 60 and 55 GPa respectively. Both experiments show that the orthorhombic Pnma structure remains stable up to the highest pressures measured, in contradiction to ab-initio predictions. A fit of the compression data with a second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state yields a bulk modulus K0 of 181.0(6) GPa. The orthorhombic distortion is found to increase slightly with pressure, in agreement with previous experiments at lower pressures and the general rules for the evolution of per…
The paper presents infrared reflectivity and micro-Raman scattering spectra of LiBC powder pellets. The experiment allowed assignment of frequencies of all infrared and Raman active zone center modes. Results are compared with available ab-initio calculations; prediction of large Born effective charges on the nodes of B-C graphene sheets is confirmed.
From resonant Raman scattering on isolated nanotubes we obtained the optical transition energies, the radial breathing mode frequency and Raman intensity of both metallic and semiconducting tubes. We unambiguously assigned the chiral index (n_1,n_2) of approximately 50 nanotubes based solely on a third-neighbor tight-binding Kataura plot and find omega_RBM=214.4cm^-1nm/d+18.7cm^-1. In contrast to luminescence experiments we observe all chiralities including zig-zag tubes. The Raman intensities have a systematic chiral-angle dependence confirming recent ab-initio calculations.
We report on Raman experiments performed on a single crystal MoTe$_2$ sample. The system belongs to the wide family of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides which includes several of the most interesting two dimensional materials for both basic and applied physics. Measurements were performed in the standard basal plane configuration, by placing the $ab$ plane of the crystal perpendicular to the wave vector $k_i$ of the incident beam to explore the in plane vibrational modes, and in the edge plane configuration with $k_i$ perpendicular to the crystal $c$ axis, thus mainly exciting out-of-plane mode…
We study the structural stability and dynamical properties of Ar(H2)2 under pressure using first-principles and ab initio molecular dynamics techniques. At low temperatures, Ar(H2)2 is found to stabilize in the cubic C15 Laves structure (MgCu2) and not in the hexagonal C14 Laves structure (MgZn2) as it has been assumed previously. Based on enthalpy energy and phonon calculations, we propose a temperature-induced MgCu2 -> MgZn2 phase transition that may rationalize the existing discrepancies between the sets of Raman and infrared vibron measurements. Our AIMD simulations suggest that the meltin…
We combine ab initio simulations and Raman scattering measurements to demonstrate explicit anharmonic effects in the temperature dependent dielectric response of a NaCl single crystal. We measure the temperature evolution of its Raman spectrum and compare it to both a quasi-harmonic and anharmonic model. Results demonstrate the necessity of including anharmonic lattice dynamics to explain the dielectric response of NaCl, as it is manifested in Raman scattering. Our model fully captures the linear dielectric response of a crystal at finite temperatures and may therefore be used to calculate the…
Cubic boron phosphide BP has been studied in situ by X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering up to 55 GPa at 300 K in a diamond anvil cell. The bulk modulus of B0 = 174(2) GPa has been established, which is in excellent agreement with our ab initio calculations. The data on Raman shift as a function of pressure, combined with equation-of-state data, allowed us to estimate the Grüneisen parameters of the TO and LO modes of zinc-blende structure, γGTO = 1.16 and γGLO = 1.04, just like in the case of other AIIIBV diamond-like phases, for which γGTO > γGLO = 1. We also established that the pressure…
We present a new interpretation of measured Raman frequencies of a high-pressure structure of Silicon which was assigned previously to the beta-tin phase. Our results show that the beta-tin->Imma->sh phase transitions have been already indicated in this experiment which was performed before the discovery of the Imma phase. We have calculated phonon-dispersion curves for the beta-tin, Imma, and sh phases of silicon using the plane-wave pseudopotential approach to the density-functional theory and the density-functional perturbation theory within the local density approximation. With the new ass…
Raman scattering on bulk AsxS1-x glasses showes that vibrational modes of As4S4 monomer first appear near x=0.38, and their concentration increases precipitously with increasing x, suggesting that the stoichiometric glass (x=0.40) is intrinsically phase seperated into small As-rich(As4S4) and large S-righ clusters. Support for the Raman-active vibrational modes of the orpiment-like and realgar-like nanophases is provided by ab-initio density functional theory calculations on appropriate clusters. Nanoscale phase seperation provides a basis for understanding the global maximum in the glass tran…
We report ab initio calculations of the electronic band structure, the corresponding optical spectra, and the phonon dispersion relations of trigonal alpha-HgS (cinnabar). The calculated dielectric functions are compared with unpublished optical measurements by Zallen and coworkers. The phonon dispersion relations are used to calculate the temperature and isotopic mass dependence of the specific heat which has been compared with experimental data obtained on samples with the natural isotope abundances of the elements Hg and S (natural minerals and vapor phase grown samples) and on samples prep…
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been coated with gold and platinum nanoparticles either by microwave treatment or by the click reaction and the Raman spectra of these SWNT-metal nanoparticle composites have been investigated. Analysis of the G bands in the Raman spectra shows an increase in the proportion of metallic SWNTs on attachment with metal nanoparticles. This conclusion is also supported by the changes observed in the RBM bands. Ab-initio calculations reveal that semiconductor-metal transition occurs in SWNTs due to Columbic charge transfer between the metal nanoparticles a…
Room-temperature Raman scattering has been measured in barium tungstate (BaWO4) up to 16 GPa. We report the pressure dependence of all the Raman-active first-order phonons of the tetragonal scheelite phase (BaWO4-I, space group I41/a), which is stable at normal conditions. As pressure increases the Raman spectrum undergoes significant changes around 6.9 GPa due to the onset of the structural phase transition to the monoclinic BaWO4-II phase (space group P21/n). This transition is only completed above 9.5 GPa. A further change in the spectrum is observed at 7.5 GPa related to a scheelite-to-fer…
Room-temperature Raman scattering has been measured in lead tungstate up to 17 GPa. We report the pressure dependence of all the Raman modes of the tetragonal scheelite phase (PbWO4-I, space group I41/a), which is stable at ambient conditions. Upon compression the Raman spectrum undergoes significant changes around 6.2 GPa due to the onset of a partial structural phase transition to the monoclinic PbWO4-III phase (space group P21/n). Further changes in the spectrum occur at 7.9 GPa, related to a scheelite-to-fergusonite transition. This transition is observed due to the sluggishness and kineti…
We report a Raman study of the effect of temperature on the self-energies of optical phonons in a number of transition metals with hexagonal-close-packed structure. Anisotropic softening of phonon energies and narrowing of phonon linewidths with increasing temperature are observed. These effects are reproduced in the calculations of phonon spectral functions based on \textit{ab initio} electronic structures and with carrier scattering by phonons taken into account. The combined observations and results of simulations indicate a relation between observed anomalies and the renormalization of the…
Lead sulfide is an important semiconductor that has found technological applications for over a century. Raman spectroscopy, a standard tool for the investigation and characterization of semiconductors, has limited application to this material because of the forbidden nature of its first order scattering and its opacity to visible lasers. Nevertheless, useful vibrational spectra from two-phonon processes are obtained with red lasers, probably because of a resonance in the concomitant electronic transitions. Here we report temperature dependent spectra, covering the 10-300 K range, for two samp…
Since double resonance Raman (DRR) spectra are laser-energy dependent, the first-principles calculations of DRR for two-dimensional materials are challenging. Here, the DRR spectrum of monolayer MoTe$_2$ is calculated by home-made program, in which we combine {\em ab-initio} density-functional-theory calculations with the electron-phonon Wannier (EPW) method. Within the fourth-order perturbation theory, we are able to quantify not only the electron-photon matrix elements within the dipole approximation, but also the electron-phonon matrix elements using the Wannier functions. The reasonable ag…
The structural stability and physical properties of CrVO4 under compression were studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, optical absorption, resistivity measurements, and ab initio calculations up to 10 GPa. High-pressure X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements show that CrVO4 undergoes a phase transition from the ambient pressure orthorhombic CrVO4-type structure (Cmcm space group, phase III) to the high-pressure monoclinic CrVO4-V phase, which is isomorphic to the wolframite structure. Such a phase transition (CrVO4-type - wolframite), driven by pressure, also was previously obser…
We report the structural, elastic and vibrational properties of five ionic-molecular solid oxidizers MNO$_3$ (M = Li, Na, K) and MClO$_3$ (M = Na, K). By treating long range electron-correlation effects, dispersion corrected method leads to more accurate predictions of structural properties and phase stability of KNO$_3$ polymorphs. The obtained elastic moduli show soft nature of these materials and are consistent with Ultrasonic Pulse Echo measurements. We made a complete assignment of vibrational modes which are in good accord with available experimental results. From calculated IR and Raman…
We report our Raman studies of a new lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics, Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCTZO). The Raman modes of BCTZO are compared with those of BaTi0.8Zr0.2O3 (BTZO), and BaTiO3 (BTO). Also, they are compared with the eigenmodes of BTO calculated by using an ab-initio quantum-mechanical frozen-phonon method. The sharp mode at 321 cm-1 of BTO, reported as a coupled mode showing an interference effect, becomes progressively broader in BTZO and BCTZO. This behavior, together with a broadening of the 527-cm-1 mode, suggests that the mode-coupling is weakened in BTZO and BCTZO. The str…
