First-principles study on the electronic structure and optical properties of La0.75Sr0.25MnO3-σ materials with oxygen vacancies defects

The electronic structure and optical properties of La0.75Sr0.25MnO3-σ (LSMO3-σ) materials with 1 × 1 × 4 orthorhombic perovskite structure were performed by first-principles calculation. The structural changing of LSMO3 (ideal structure, σ = 0) was not obvious under generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA + U arithmetic. On the contrary, the structural changing of LSMO3-σ (σ = 0.25, with oxygen vacancies defects in the z = 0, c/8, c/6, c/4, and c/2) with GGA + U were more obvious than the result of ideal. This structural distortion induced distinct changing in density of states (DOS) for LSMO3-σ materials. Oxygen vacancy defects caused a shift of the total density of states (TDOS) features toward low binding energies and LSMO3-σ keep half-metal properties as well as LSMO3 ideal structure. In addition, the hybridization between the Mn-eg and O-2p orbital was weakened and the partial density of states (PDOS) of Mn indicated a strong d-d orbital interaction. By the result of oxygen vacancy formation energy, oxygen vacancy defects can be more easily formed in La-O layers (z = 0 and c/6) to compare with other layers (z = c/8, c/4 and c/2). The calculation result of optical properties suggested that the ideal LSMO could be produced strong absorption in the range of ultraviolet and visible light, while the LSMO3-σ with oxygen vacancies defects were presented weak absorption in the range of visible light. •The TDOS of LSMO3-σ with oxygen vacancy defects shifted to low binding energies.•LSMO3-σ with oxygen vacancy defects kept half-metal properties as well as LSMO3 ideal structure.•Oxygen vacancy defects can be more easily formed in La-O layers to compare with other layers.•LSMO3-σ presented strong absorption in UV and visible light region (σ=0) and weak absorption in visible light region (σ=0.25).