Molecular dynamics simulation of melting of silicene

Abstract

We report the melting temperature of free-standing silicene by carrying out molecular dynamics (MD) simulation experiments using optimized Stillinger-Weber (SW) potential by Zhang et al (2014 Phys. Rev. B 89 054310). The melting scenario of a free-standing silicene is well captured visually in our MD simulations. The data are systematically analyzed using a few qualitatively different indicators, including caloric curve, radial distribution function and a numerical indicator known as global similarity index. The optimized SW potential consistently yields a melting temperature of 1500 K for the simulated free-standing, infinite silicene.