While the self-learning kinetic Monte Carlo (SLKMC) method enables the calculation of transition rates from a realistic potential, implementations of it were usually limited to one specific surface orientation. An example is the fcc (111) surface in Latz et al. 2012, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 24, 485005. This work provides an extension by means of detecting the local orientation, and thus allows for the accurate simulation of arbitrarily shaped surfaces. We applied the model to the diffusion of Ag monolayer islands and voids on a Ag(111) and Ag(001) surface, as well as the relaxation of a three-dimensional spherical particle.
We present a multi-lattice kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) approach that efficiently describes the atomistic dynamics of morphological transitions between commensurate structures at crystal surfaces. As an example we study the reduction of a $(\sqrt{5}\times \sqrt{5})R27^{\circ}$ PdO(101) overlayer on Pd(100) in a CO atmosphere. Extensive density-functional theory calculations are used to establish an atomistic pathway for the oxide reduction process. First-principles multi-lattice kMC simulations on the basis of this pathway fully reproduce the experimental temperature dependence of the reduction r…
Grain growth in nanocrystalline Al was studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The novelty of this study results from the utilization of an algorithm to resolve per-grain kinetics and orientation change from molecular dynamics data sets. To this aim, a highly efficient algorithm for the identification and reconstruction of crystallites from molecular dynamics data sets of FCC materials was developed. This method is capable of calculating specific attributes of grains, namely, volume, center of mass, average orientation and orientation spread. In addition, it provides a mapping meth…
We present a comparison of the kinetic Activation-Relaxation Technique (k-ART) and the Self-Evolving Atomistic Kinetic Monte Carlo (SEAKMC), two off-lattice, on-the-fly kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) techniques that were recently used to solve several materials science problems. We show that if the initial displacements are localized the dimer method and the Activation-Relaxation Technique \emph{nouveau} provide similar performance. We also show that k-ART and SEAKMC, although based on different approximations, are in agreement with each other, as demonstrated by the examples of 50 vacancies in a 1…
An exact Quantum Kinetic Monte Carlo method is proposed to calculate electron transport for 1D Fermi Hubbard model. The method is directly formulated in real time and can be applied to extract time dependent dynamics of general interacting Fermion models in 1D. When coupled with Density Functional Theory and Maximally Localized Wannier Functions, our method can be used to predict electron transport in materials in presence of interfaces. The first application of our method on case study of $α$-quartz dielectric breakdown seems promising.
A kinetic Monte Carlo simulations with model asymmetry in binary Fe-Cu alloy leading to the same microstructure are presented. A method based on thermodynamic data for calculation of interatomic potentials dependent on model asymmetry is presented and evaluated. Results show that kinetic pathways are sensitive to model asymmetry and are compared to the classical growth and coarsening theories. Experimental diffusion data is used and compared to simulation results to determine a realistic combination for simulations.
Charge transport is well understood in both highly ordered materials (band conduction) or highly disordered ones (hopping conduction). In moderately disordered materials -- including many organic semiconductors -- the approximations valid in either extreme break down, making it difficult to accurately model the conduction. In particular, describing wavefunction delocalisation requires a quantum treatment, which is difficult in disordered materials that lack periodicity. Here, we present the first three-dimensional model of partially delocalised charge and exciton transport in materials in the …
Surfaces bombarded with low energy ion beams often display development of self assembled patterns and quasi-periodic structures. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to describe ion sputtered Tantalum surfaces. A weak nonlinearity in the relaxation process has been introduced and the results show that the Positive Schwoebel barrier, produced by the nonlinear Hamiltonian, is necessary in describing ion bombarded Tantalum surfaces. Furthermore, their scaling exponents suggest presence of a class other than KPZ.
A kinetic Monte Carlo approach is applied to studying shape instability of nanowires that results in their breaking up into chains of nanoparticles. Our approach can be used to explore dynamical features of the process that correspond to experimental findings, but that cannot be interpreted by continuum mechanisms reminiscent of the description of the Plateau-Rayleigh instability in liquid jets. For example, we observe long-lived dumbbell-type fragments and other typical non-liquid-jet characteristics of the process, as well as confirm the observed lattice-orientation dependence of the breakup…
Benchmark Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the ground-state kinetic, interaction, and total energy of the three-dimensional electron gas
我们报告变分和扩散量子蒙特卡罗基态能量的三维电子气使用模型周期性库仑相互作用和回流修正N=54，102，178，和226电子。我们删除有限尺寸的影响外推，我们发现较低的能量比以前报道的。使用Hellman-Feynman算子采样方法在Phys. Rev. Lett. 99，126406（2007），我们精确地计算，在固定节点近似，单独的动力学和相互作用的总基态能量的贡献。从原始斯莱特行列式节点和回流位移节点得到的相互作用能之间的差异被发现是相当大的比相应的动能之间的差异。
Effect of surface nanostructure on temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy: First-principles kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of CO oxidation at RuO2(110)
Properties of inorganic-organic interfaces, such as their interface dipole, strongly depend on the structural arrangements of the organic molecules. A prime example is tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) on Cu(111), which shows two different phases with significantly different work functions. However, the thermodynamically pre-ferred phase is not always the one that is best suited for a given application. Rather, it may be desirable to selectively grow a kinetically trapped structure. In this work, we employ density functional theory and transi-tion state theory to discuss under which conditions such a …
We derive an Ising Hamiltonian for kinetic simulations involving interstitial and vacancy defects in binary alloys. Our model, which we term `ABVI', incorporates solute transport by both interstitial defects and vacancies into a mathematically-consistent framework , and thus represents a generalization to the widely-used ABV model for alloy evolution simulations. The Hamiltonian captures the three possible interstitial configurations in a binary alloy: A-A, A-B, and B-B, which makes it particularly useful for irradiation damage simulations. All the constants of the Hamiltonian are expressed in…
In this work we introduce the Object Kinetic Monte Carlo (OKMC) simulator MMonCa and simulate the defect evolution in three different materials. We start by explaining the theory of OKMC and showing some details of how such theory is implemented by creating generic structures and algorithms in the objects that we want to simulate. Then we successfully reproduce simulated results for defect evolution in iron, silicon and tungsten using our simulator and compare with available experimental data and similar simulations. The comparisons validate MMonCa showing that it is powerful and flexible enou…
We present a density-functional theory based kinetic Monte Carlo study of CO oxidation at the (111) facet of RuO$_2$. We compare the detailed insight into elementary processes, steady-state surface coverages and catalytic activity to equivalent published simulation data for the frequently studied RuO$_2$(110) facet. Qualitative differences are identified in virtually every aspect ranging from binding energetics over lateral interactions to the interplay of elementary processes at the different active sites. Nevertheless, particularly at technologically relevant elevated temperatures, near-ambi…
Studies of concentration and temperature dependencies of precipitation kinetics in iron-copper alloys using kinetic monte carlo and stochastic statistical simulations
The radiofrequency dielectric response of the lead-free Ba(Zr$_{0.5}$Ti$_{0.5}$)O$_3$ relaxor ferroelectric is simulated using a coarse-grained Hamiltonian. This concept, taken from Real-Space Renormalization Group theories, allows depicting the collective behavior of correlated local modes gathered in blocks. Free-energy barriers for their thermally activated collective hopping are deduced from this {\it ab-initio}-based approach, and used as input data of Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. The resulting numerical scheme allows to simulate the dielectric response for external field frequencies …
Self-organized growth of Ag islands on Si(111)-(7x7) - optimization of a scanning tunneling microscopy experiment by means of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations
The kinetic Monte Carlo method is used to model the dynamic properties of proton diffusion in anhydrous proton conductors. The results have been discussed with reference to a two-step process called the Grotthuss mechanism. There is a widespread belief that this mechanism is responsible for fast proton mobility. We showed in detail that the relative frequency of reorientation and diffusion processes is crucial for the conductivity. Moreover, the current dependence on proton concentration has been analyzed. In order to test our microscopic model the proton transport in polymer electrolyte membr…
A Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model was created to simulate the insertion of transmutation He atoms into nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) under neutron irradiation. Interstitial He atoms migrate through the NFA until becoming trapped in bubbles of other He atoms and vacancies created from irradiation. The Y-Ti-O nano-oxides in the NFAs were found to be effective in capturing these He atoms and preventing bubbles from forming at the grain boundary and appear to replicate the characteristics (size and number density) observed in other experiments. The bubbles were found to prefer the <111> ox…
We have performed Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation work to study the effect of diffusion anisotropy, bonding anisotropy and edge diffusion on island formation at different temperatures during the sub-monolayer film growth in Molecular Beam Epitaxy. We use simple cubic solid on solid model and event based Bortz, Kalos and Labowitch (BKL) algorithm on the Kinetic Monte Carlo method to simulate the physical phenomena. We have found that the island morphology and growth exponent are found to be influenced by substrate anisotropy as well as edge diffusion, however they do not play a significant role …
A hybrid kMC/LLG algorithm is used to simulate experimental MH hysteresis loops for dual layer ECC media. The calculation of the rate coefficients and difficulties arising from low energy barriers, a fundamental problem of the kMC method, are discussed and the methodology used to treat them in the present work is described. The results from simulations are compared with experimental data on dual layer ECC CoPtCrB/CoPtCrSiO media. A quantitative relationship between the thickness of the exchange control layer and the effective exchange constant between the layers is demonstrated.
Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of shape transition in strained quantum dots
采用一种新的结合有效表面重构的多态晶格模型，对Ge $_{x}$ Si $_{1-x}$ on Si（100）中由金字塔量子点上的阶跃聚束引发的量子点到圆顶的转变进行了原子级模拟.结果解释了一个简单的理论基础上的浅岛近似。在给定的沉积条件下，在$d$尺寸，形状的转变被证明发生在岛的大小$n_c$以下$n_c^{1/d} \propto x^{-ζ}$独立的温度和沉积速率，其中$ζ\alt 2$和$x$是实际的锗在岛的浓度。该过渡具有由小面界面能主导的能垒。然而，快速沉积可能超过并延迟向更大岛尺寸的过渡。
A roadblock in utilizing InGaAs for scaled-down electronic devices is its anomalous dopant diffusion behavior; specifically, existing models are not able to explain available experimental data on beryllium diffusion consistently. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive model, taking self-interstitial migration and Be interaction with Ga and In into account. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are first used to calculate the energy parameters and charge states of possible diffusion mechanisms. Based on the DFT results, continuum modeling and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are then p…
Knowledge of the nitrogen-vacancy center formation kinetics in diamond is critical to engineering sensors and quantum information devices based on this defect. Here we utilize the longitudinal tracking of single NV centers to elucidate NV defect kinetics during high-temperature annealing from 800-1100 $^\circ$C in high-purity chemical-vapor-deposition diamond. We observe three phenomena which can coexist: NV formation, NV quenching, and NV orientation changes. Of relevance to NV-based applications, a 6 to 24-fold enhancement in the NV density, in the absence of sample irradiation, is observed …
Controlled anisotropic growth of two-dimensional materials provides an approach for the synthesis of large single crystals and nanoribbons, which are promising for applications as low-dimensional semiconductors and in next-generation optoelectronic devices. In particular, the anisotropic growth of transition metal dichalcogenides induced by the substrate is of great interest due to its operability. To date, however, their substrate-induced anisotropic growth is typically driven by the optimization of experimental parameters without uncovering the fundamental mechanism. Here, the anisotropic gr…
