Simple pair-wise interactions for hybrid Monte Carlo–molecular dynamics simulations of titania/yttria-doped iron

Abstract

We present pair-wise, charge-neutral model potentials for an iron–titanium–yttrium–oxygen system. These simple models are designed to provide a tractable method of simulating nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) using off-lattice Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics techniques without deviating significantly from the formalism employed in existing Monte Carlo simulations. The model is fitted to diamagnetic density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the various species over a range of densities and concentrations. The resulting model potentials provide reasonable and in some cases even excellent mechanical and thermodynamic properties for the pure metals. The model replicates the qualitative trends in formation energy predicted by DFT, though the energies of formation do not agree as well for dilute systems as they do for more concentrated systems. We find that on-lattice models will consistently favor tetrahedral oxygen interstitial sites over octahedral interstitial sites, while relaxed systems typically favor octahedral sites. This emphasizes the need for the off-lattice simulations for which this potential was designed.