Pair potential modeling of atomic rearrangement in GeTe-Sb2Te3 superlattice via first-principles calculations

Abstract

We study the nature of atomic rearrangement during the phase-change processes in the superlattice of GeTe and Sb2Te3 by developing a new approach combining the first-principles calculations and a pair-potential model. We investigate the phase-change process in terms of energy changes from individual pairs or atoms by applying the pair (atom)-projection analysis to the intermediate structures between the initial and final states obtained from the climbing-image nudged elastic band method. Among the prototypical steps that can lead to the atomic layer rearrangement, we find that the required energy for the phase change is dominated by specific atoms responsible for the intrinsic energy barrier and the response to external pressure. Our approach of combining the first-principles methods and pair potential model with the projecting analysis can be a very efficient method in revealing the detailed atomic motions and the mechanism of fast atomic transition of the phase-change materials.