Equation of State, Nonlinear Elastic Response, and Anharmonic Properties of Diamond-Cubic Silicon and Germanium: First-Principles Investigation

Nonlinear elastic properties of diamond-cubic silicon and germanium have not been investigated sufficiently to date. Knowledge of these properties not only can help us to understand nonlinear mechanical effects but also can assist us to have an insight into the related anharmonic properties, so we investigate the nonlinear elastic behaviour of single silicon and germanium by calculating their second- and third-order elastic constants. All the results of the elastic constants show good agreement with the available experimental data and other theoretical calculations. Such a phenomenon indicates that the present values of the elastic constants are accurate and can be used to further study the related anharmonic properties. Subsequently, the anharmonic properties such as the pressure derivatives of the second-order elastic constants, Grüneisen constants of long-wavelength acoustic modes, and ultrasonic nonlinear parameters are explored. All the anharmonic properties of silicon calculated in the present work also show good agreement with the existing experimental results; this consistency not only reveals that the calculation method of the anharmonic properties is feasible but also illuminates that the anharmonic properties obtained in the present work are reliable. For the anharmonic properties of germanium, since there are no experimental result and other theoretical data till now, we hope that the anharmonic properties of germanium first offered in this work would serve as a reference for future studies.