Published January 11, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article

First-principle study of multiple metastable charge ordering states in La1/3Sr2/3FeO3

  • 1. Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
  • 2. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
  • 3. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60608, USA
  • 4. GITAM School of Science, Bangalore 561203, India

Description

La doped SrFeO3, La1/3Sr2/3FeO3, exhibits a metal-to-insulator transition accompanied by both antiferromagnetic and charge ordering states along with the Fe-O bond disproportionation below a critical temperature near 200 K. Unconventionally slow charge dynamics measured in this material near the critical temperature [Nat. Commun. 9, 1799 (2018)] shows that its excited charge ordering states can exhibit novel electronic structures with nontrivial energy profiles. Here, we reveal possible metastable states of charge ordering structures in La1/3Sr2/3FeO3 using the first-principle and climbing image nudged elastic band methods. In the strong correlation regime, La1/3Sr2/3FeO3 is an antiferromagnetic insulator with a charge ordering state of the big-small-big pattern, consistent with the experimental measurement of this material at the low temperature. As the correlation effect becomes weak, we find at least two possible metastable charge ordering states with the distinct Fe-O bond disproportionation. Remarkably, a ferroelectric metallic state emerges with the small energy barrier of 7meV, driven by a metastable charge ordering state of the small-medium-big pattern. The electronic structures of these metastable charge ordering states are noticeably different from those of the ground state. Our results can provide an insightful explanation to multiple metastable charge ordering states and the slow charge dynamics of this and related oxide materials.

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.8.014404;
arXiv
arXiv:2309.03995;
Crossref Funder ID
10.13039/100000015; 10.13039/100000001; 10.13039/100016862; 10.13039/100006224;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review Materials
Journal Volume
8
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
8 pgs.
ISSN
2475-9953

Optional Information

Copyright
©2024 American Physical Society
Contract/Grant/Project number
1740112
Notes
Record automatically processed
Funding organization
U.S. Department of Energy; National Science Foundation; Laboratory Computing Resource Center; Argonne National Laboratory