Electronic band structure, thermodynamics and optical characteristics of BeO1−xAx(A = S, Se, Te) alloys: Insights from ab initio study

Abstract

Special quasi-random structure (SQS) was used to investigate the structural, electronic, and optical characteristics of the binary and ternary beryllium chalcogenide alloys. The computations were performed using the pseudopotential technique. The GGA-WC scheme was applied to study the structural and optical features of these present alloys, while the HSE06 hybrid functional was used to correct the underestimation of the electronic band structure. The optimized lattice constants and bulk modulus demonstrate a non-linear tendency with increasing x concentration. The phase transition may occur for all ternary alloys at x = 0.5 with the orthorhombic assumed crystal system. The ternary alloys of BeO1−xAx (A = S, Se) at 0.5 ⩽ x ⩽1 have an indirect band gap, while BeO1−xTex0.5 ⩽ x ⩽ 1 manifest a metallic demeanor using HSE06 formalism. The optical spectra were computed and discussed in detail. Furthermore, the thermodynamic stability of the studied compounds was examined using the miscibility critical temperature.