Ab Initio and Molecular Dynamics-Based Pair Potentials for Lanthanum Hexaboride

Abstract

Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) is a well-known refractory ceramic with unique mechanical and electrochemical behavior, leading to a diverse array of possible attractive applications. In this work, we present and discuss the development of interatomic potentials for LaB6 using a combination of density functional theory with molecular dynamics simulations. Density functional theory is employed to acquire energetic and dynamic data of the atoms in various configurations and environments. Lattice inversion techniques are then combined with other optimization procedures to yield potentials which can accurately capture the lattice dynamics–mean-square displacements and equilibrium energetics of the system as a function of temperature.