KCrF3: Electronic structure and magnetic and orbital ordering from first principles

G. Giovannetti, Serena Margadonna, J. van den Brink

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)
148 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The electronic, magnetic and orbital structures of KCrF3 are determined in all its recently identified crystallographic phases (cubic, tetragonal, and monoclinic) with a set of ab initio local spin density approximation (LSDA) and LSDA+U calculations. The high-temperature undistorted cubic phase appears as a metal from LSDA, but it is a Mott insulator with a gap of 1.72 eV at the LSDA+U level. The tetragonal and monoclinic phases of KCrF3 exhibit cooperative Jahn-Teller distortions concomitant with staggered 3x2−r2/3y2−r2 orbital order. We find that the energy gains due to the Jahn-Teller distortion are 82 and 104 meV per chromium ion in the tetragonal and monoclinic phases, respectively. These phases show A-type magnetic ordering and have a band gap of 2.48 eV. In this Mott insulating state, KCrF3 has a substantial conduction bandwidth leading to the possibility for the kinetic energy of charge carriers in electron- or hole-doped derivatives of KCrF3 to overcome the polaron localization at low temperatures, in analogy with the situation encountered in the colossal magnetoresistive manganites.
Original languageUndefined
Pages (from-to)075113/1-075113/7
Number of pages7
JournalPhysical review B: Condensed matter and materials physics
Volume77
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Keywords

  • IR-59958
  • METIS-251850

Cite this