Pressure-induced phase transformations in alkali-metal hydrides calculated using an improved linear-muffin-tin-orbital-atomic-sphere-approximation energy scheme.

Abstract

A scheme for the calculation of total energies from first principles is described which is intermediate between the popular linear muffin-tin-orbital method in the atomic-sphere approximation (LMTO-ASA) and an exact full-potential treatment. The local-density total energy is evaluated accurately for the output charge density from the ASA potential. This method is applied to the study of static structural properties and the pressure-induced phase transformation from B1 (NaCl-structure) to B2 (CsCl-structure) phases for the partially ionic alkaki-metal hydrides NaH and KH and the alkali halide NaCl. Good agreement with experimental transition pressures and volumes is obtained. The series NaH, KH, and NaCl shows the observed strong cation and weak anion dependence. Charge densities and band structures are given at zero and high pressure. Calculated energy-volume curves for LiH show no transition up to 1 Mbar, in agreement with experimental data.