Modulating electronic properties of β-Ga2O3 by strain engineering

•Strain manipulation can induce an indirect-direct bandgap transition of β-Ga2O3.•The bandgap changes of β-Ga2O3 are calculated under strain engineering.•The electron effective mass of β-Ga2O3 generally features a negative correlation with strain.•The anisotropy of electron effective mass of β-Ga2O3 shows an upward trend in fluctuations under tension or compression. β-Ga2O3 is a promising material for the development of next-generation power electronic and optoelectronic devices due to its exceptional properties, including ultrawide bandgap and thermodynamic stability. Strain engineering has emerged as a powerful method to modulate the physical properties of materials and has been widely employed in semiconductor devices to enhance their performance and functionality. Our study focuses on the effects of strain engineering on the electronic properties of β-Ga2O3. Using density functional theory, we calculated the band structures and electron effective masses of β-Ga2O3 under different strain states. Our investigation revealed that strain manipulation can induce an indirect-direct bandgap transition. Strain can also lead to changes in effective masses and anisotropy of electron mobility. Our calculations provide important insights into the potential of strain engineering as a powerful tool for modulating the electronic properties of β-Ga2O3, with important implications for practical device applications.