Electronic structures of hydrogen in perovskite-type oxide, SrTiO 3

Abstract

The electronic structures of hydrogen in SrTiO 3 are simulated by the DV-X α molecular orbital method. In pure SrTiO 3, there is a band gap of about 3.5 eV between the O-2p valence band and the Ti-3d conduction band, in agreement with experiments. When Sc is doped into SrTiO 3, an acceptor level appears just above the valence band. On the other hand, when hydrogen is introduced into SrTiO 3, a donor level appears below the conduction band. The molecular orbital of the donor level is composed mostly of the Ti-3d and O-2p electrons, but still there is a small occupancy (6%∼12%) of the H-1s electrons in it. When both Sc and hydrogen coexist in SrTiO 3, charge transfer takes place from the donor level to the acceptor level. As a result of this charge compensation, the effective ionicity of hydrogen becomes about +0.17∼+0.24, the value of which is dependent on the hydrogen positions in the crystal lattice. Also, the chemical bond strengths between constituent ions are modified largely by dopants. For example, the Sc doping tends to strengthen the chemical bond between hydrogen and oxygen ions, but instead to weaken the chemical bond between the oxygen ion and the surrounding metal ions. In addition, it is shown that an oxygen ion vacancy makes the defect level below the conduction band in the Sc-doped oxide.