First-principles calculations to investigate physical properties of oxide perovskites LaBO3 (BMn, Fe) for thermo-spintronic devices

Abstract

Oxide perovskite LaBO₃ was extensively examined using first principles computations with density functional theory. Various exchange-correlation functionals were applied to investigate several of its physical properties. The compound's stability was validated through energy optimization in both ferromagnetic and non-magnetic phases, revealing that the ferromagnetic phase is more energetically stable. With the optimized lattice parameter, we explored various electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and thermodynamic properties. According to the GGA + U approximation, LaMnO₃ and LaFeO₃ exhibit half-metallic and semiconductor characteristics, respectively. The elastic constants, along with the elastic moduli (Y, B, and G) and Vickers hardness (Hv) number, were calculated to assess the mechanical properties of both compounds. Our simulation confirmed the ductile nature of the material by analyzing the Cauchy pressure, Poisson's ratio, and Pugh ratio. Additionally, thermodynamic parameters, including thermal expansion, specific heat capacity, and Debye temperature, were computed using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The study's findings suggest that these materials are suitable for thermo-spintronic devices.