The aim of this work was to study by means of the full potential linear muffin‐tin orbital method within generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA + U approach the various physical properties of the NbCoSn and NbFeSb half‐Heusler compounds. The equilibrium ground states properties were calculated and compared with available experimental and theoretical data. The elastic constants have been calculated, and revealed that our compounds are mechanically stable. The obtained elastic modulus divulged that our compounds are elastically anisotropic and categorizing them as brittle compounds. The GGA approach showed a semi‐conductor nature. However, the GGA + U approach showed a significant improvement over other theoretical work. We remarked from the band structures that the two materials showed a p‐type semiconductor, with relatively high power factors. Furthermore, the optical quantities are calculated and discussed in detail. Hence, by our findings, the studied compounds could be used for thermoelectric and optoelectronic applications.
In this study, we carried out ab-initio calculations of structural, electronic, optical and thermo-electric properties of CaTaO2N compound in Pnma orthorhombic structure, using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW), within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). The calculated structural parameters are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, we have studied the electronic band structure, total and partial density of states in order to explain the origin of band gaps and the nitrogen anion contribution in the valence and the conduction bands. The CaTaO2N band structure has shown a direct band gap in the direction [Formula: see text] (with the value 2.32[Formula: see text]eV). The optical properties represented by the dielectric functions for CaTaO2N compound have revealed that the Pnma structure absorbs the light at a large window in the edge UV-Vis regions. In order to explain the thermo-electric properties, we have calculated Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and the factor figure of merit in this temperature range 100–1000 K. The factor figure of mérit (ZT) of CaTaO2N takes a maximum value of 0.775 at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]K.
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