Phase transition mechanism of hexagonal graphite to hexagonal and cubic diamond:simulation.

molecular dynamics simulations are used to elucidate the mechanism of the phase transition in shock experiments from hexagonal graphite (HG) to hexagonal diamond (HD) or to cubic diamond (CD). The transition from HG to HD is found to occur swiftly in very small time of 0.2 ps, with large cooperative displacements of all the atoms.

Spin-phonon coupling and thermodynamic behaviour in YCrOand LaCrO: inelastic neutron scattering and lattice dynamics.

We report detailed temperature-dependent inelastic neutron scattering andlattice dynamics investigation of magnetic perovskites YCrOand LaCrO. The magnetic neutron scattering from the Cr ions exhibits significant changes with temperature and dominates at low momentum transfer regime.calculations performed including magnetic interactions show that the effect of magnetic interactions is very significant on the low- as well as high-energy phonon modes.

Anomalous Lattice Dynamics in AgCN: Insights From Inelastic Neutron Scattering and Density Functional Calculations.

We have performed temperature dependent inelastic neutron scattering measurements to study the anharmonicity of phonon spectra of AgCN. The analysis and interpretation of the experimental spectra is done using lattice dynamics calculations. The calculated phonon spectrum over the entire Brillouin zone is used to derive linear thermal expansion coefficients.

Phonons and Thermal Expansion Behavior of NiSi and NiGe.

We have carried out first principles calculations of the vibrational and thermodynamic behavior in NiSi and isostructural compound NiGe. Phonon density of states has also been measured in NiSi using inelastic neutron scattering techniques. We find that the vibrational spectra of the two compounds are very different, due to the difference in the size and mass of Si and Ge.

Anomalous lattice behavior of vanadium pentaoxide (VO): X-ray diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering and ab initio lattice dynamics.

We present structural and dynamical studies of layered vanadium pentaoxide (VO). The temperature dependent X-ray diffraction measurements reveal highly anisotropic and anomalous thermal expansion from 12 K to 853 K. The results do not show any evidence of structural phase transition or decomposition of α-VO, contrary to the previous transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) experiments.

Superionic conduction in β-eucryptite: inelastic neutron scattering and computational studies.

β-Eucryptite (LiAlSiO) is known to show super-ionic conductivity above 700 K. We performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements in β-eucryptite over 300-900 K and calculated the phonon spectrum using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The MD simulations were used to interpret the inelastic neutron spectra at high temperatures.

New insights into the compressibility and high-pressure stability of Ni(CN)2: a combined study of neutron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and inelastic neutron scattering.

Nickel cyanide is a layered material showing markedly anisotropic behaviour. High-pressure neutron diffraction measurements show that at pressures up to 20.1 kbar, compressibility is much higher in the direction perpendicular to the layers, c, than in the plane of the strongly chemically bonded metal-cyanide sheets.

Magnetic lattice dynamics of the oxygen-free FeAs pnictides: how sensitive are phonons to magnetic ordering?

To shed light on the role of magnetism on the superconducting mechanism of the oxygen-free FeAs pnictides, we investigate the effect of magnetic ordering on phonon dynamics in the low-temperature orthorhombic parent compounds, which present a spin density wave. The study covers both the 122 (AFe(2)As(2); A = Ca, Sr, Ba) and 1111 (AFeAsF; A = Ca, Sr) phases. We extend our recent work on the Ca (122 and 1111) and Ba (122) cases by treating, computationally and experimentally, the 122 and 1111 Sr compounds.