Structural phase transitions in high-pressure wurtzite to rocksalt phase in GaN and SiC

Abstract

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are employed to study the atomistic mechanisms and pathways of high-pressure phase transformation in GaN and SiC. Our simulations bring a fundamental level of understanding of the wurtzite to rocksalt phase transformation that undergoes inhomogeneous displacements via a tetragonal atomic configuration, and suggest that the transition path may be independent of the presence of d electrons on the cation in GaN. The discrepancies between experimental and theoretical studies of transition paths are discussed.