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Qiang Zhu

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Published work

36 published item(s)

preprint2026arXiv

Crystal Generation using the Fully Differentiable Pipeline and Latent Space Optimization

We present a materials generation framework that couples a symmetry-conditioned variational autoencoder (CVAE) with a differentiable SO(3) power spectrum objective to steer candidates toward a specified local environment under the crystallographic constraints. In particular, we implement a fully differentiable pipeline to enable batch-wise optimization on both direct and latent crystallographic representations. Using the GPU acceleration, this implementation achieves about fivefold speed compared to our previous CPU workflow, while yielding comparable outcomes. In addition, we introduce the optimization strategy that alternatively performs optimization on the direct and latent crystal representations. This dual-level relaxation approach can effectively escape local minima defined by different objective gradients, thus increasing the success rate of generating complex structures satisfying the target local environments. This framework can be extended to systems consisting of multi-components and multi-environments, providing a scalable route to generate material structures with the target local environment.

preprint2026arXiv

PairDropGS: Paired Dropout-Induced Consistency Regularization for Sparse-View Gaussian Splatting

Dropout-based sparse-view 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) methods alleviate overfitting by randomly suppressing Gaussian primitives during training. Existing methods mainly focus on designing increasingly sophisticated dropout strategies, while they overlook the resulting inconsistencies among different dropped Gaussian subsets. This oversight often leads to unstable reconstruction and suboptimal Gaussian representation learning.In this paper, we revisit dropout-based sparse-view 3DGS from a consistency regularization perspective and propose PairDropGS, a Paired Dropout-induced Consistency Regularization framework for sparse-view Gaussian splatting. Specifically, PairDropGS first constructs a pair of the dropped Gaussian subsets from a shared Gaussian field and designs a low-frequency consistency regularization to constrain their low-frequency rendered structures. This design encourages the shared Gaussian field to preserve stable scene layout and coarse geometry under different random dropouts, while avoiding excessive constraints on ambiguous high-frequency details. Moreover, we introduce a progressive consistency scheduling strategy to gradually strengthen the consistency regularization during training for stability and robustness of reconstruction. Extensive experiments on widely-used sparse-view benchmarks demonstrate that PairDropGS achieves superior training stability, significantly outperforms existing dropout-based 3DGS methods in reconstruction quality, while exhibiting the simplicity and plug-and-play nature for improving dropout-based optimization.

preprint2022arXiv

Impacts of f-d Kondo cloud on superconductivity of nickelates

The discovery of superconducting nickelates reignited hope for elucidating the high-$T_{\textrm{c}}$ superconductivity mechanism in the isostructural cuprates. While in the cuprates, the superconducting gap opens up on a single-band of the quasi-2D Fermi surface, the nickelates are known to have 3D nature of electronic structure with multi-band. This raises a serious question about the role of 2D nature for the high-$T_{\textrm{c}}$ superconductivity. Here, employing dynamical mean field theory combined with GW method, we found the Kondo effect driven by the strong correlation of Nd-4$f$ and Ni-3$d$ electrons emerging at low temperature. The Kondo effect modifies the topology of the Fermi surface leading to 3D multi-band nature. Remarkably, the Kondo effect is easily destroyed by lattice modulation, leading to the quasi-2D nature. Our findings clearly explain the inconsistent occurrence of superconductivity and distinct electrical resistivity behavior between NdNiO$_{2}$ bulk and films.

preprint2021arXiv

Cross-domain Joint Dictionary Learning for ECG Inference from PPG

The inverse problem of inferring electrocardiogram (ECG) from photoplethysmogram (PPG) is an emerging research direction that combines the easy measurability of PPG and the rich clinical knowledge of ECG for long-term continuous cardiac monitoring. The prior art for reconstruction using a universal basis has limited fidelity for uncommon ECG waveform shapes due to the lack of rich representative power. In this paper, we design two dictionary learning frameworks, the cross-domain joint dictionary learning (XDJDL) and the label-consistent XDJDL (LC-XDJDL), to further improve the ECG inference quality and enrich the PPG-based diagnosis knowledge. Building on the K-SVD technique, our proposed joint dictionary learning frameworks aim to maximize the expressive power by optimizing simultaneously a pair of signal dictionaries for PPG and ECG with the transforms to relate their sparse codes and disease information. The proposed models are evaluated with 34,000+ ECG/PPG cycle pairs containing a variety of ECG morphologies and cardiovascular diseases. We demonstrate both visually and quantitatively that our proposed frameworks can achieve better inference performance than previous methods, suggesting an encouraging potential for ECG screening using PPG based on the proactive learned PPG-ECG relationship.

preprint2021arXiv

Multi-scale Information Assembly for Image Matting

Image matting is a long-standing problem in computer graphics and vision, mostly identified as the accurate estimation of the foreground in input images. We argue that the foreground objects can be represented by different-level information, including the central bodies, large-grained boundaries, refined details, etc. Based on this observation, in this paper, we propose a multi-scale information assembly framework (MSIA-matte) to pull out high-quality alpha mattes from single RGB images. Technically speaking, given an input image, we extract advanced semantics as our subject content and retain initial CNN features to encode different-level foreground expression, then combine them by our well-designed information assembly strategy. Extensive experiments can prove the effectiveness of the proposed MSIA-matte, and we can achieve state-of-the-art performance compared to most existing matting networks.

preprint2020arXiv

Computation and data driven discovery of topological phononic materials

The discovery of topological quantum states marks a new chapter in both condensed matter physics and materials sciences. By analogy to spin electronic system, topological concepts have been extended into phonons, boosting the birth of topological phononics (TPs). Here, we present a high-throughput screening and data-driven approach to compute and evaluate TPs among over 10,000 materials. We have clarified 5014 TP materials and classified them into single Weyl, high degenerate Weyl, and nodal-line (ring) TPs. Among them, three representative cases of TPs have been discussed in detail. Furthermore, we suggest 322 TP materials with potential clean nontrivial surface states, which are favorable for experimental characterizations. This work significantly increases the current library of TP materials, which enables an in-depth investigation of their structure-property relations and opens new avenues for future device design related to TPs.

preprint2020arXiv

Neural Networks Potential from the Bispectrum Component: A Case Study on Crystalline Silicon

In this article, we present a systematic study in developing machine learning force fields (MLFF) for crystalline silicon. While the main-stream approach of fitting a MLFF is to use a small and localized training sets from molecular dynamics simulation, it is unlikely to cover the global feature of the potential energy surface. To remedy this issue, we used randomly generated symmetrical crystal structures to train a more general Si-MLFF. Further, we performed substantial benchmarks among different choices of materials descriptors and regression techniques on two different sets of silicon data. Our results show that neural network potential fitting with bispectrum coefficients as the descriptor is a feasible method for obtaining accurate and transferable MLFF.

preprint2020arXiv

PyXtal FF: a Python Library for Automated Force Field Generation

We present PyXtal FF, a package based on Python programming language, for developing machine learning potentials (MLPs). The aim of PyXtal FF is to promote the application of atomistic simulations by providing several choices of structural descriptors and machine learning regressions in one platform. Based on the given choice of structural descriptors (including the atom-centered symmetry functions, embedded atom density, SO4 bispectrum, and smooth SO3 power spectrum), PyXtal FF can train the MLPs with either the generalized linear regression or neural networks model, by simultaneously minimizing the errors of energy/forces/stress tensors in comparison with the data from the ab-initio simulation. The trained MLP model from PyXtal FF is interfaced with the Atomic Simulation Environment (ASE) package, which allows different types of light-weight simulations such as geometry optimization, molecular dynamics simulation, and physical properties prediction. Finally, we will illustrate the performance of PyXtal FF by applying it to investigate several material systems, including the bulk SiO2, high entropy alloy NbMoTaW, and elemental Pt for general purposes. Full documentation of PyXtal FF is available at https://pyxtal-ff.readthedocs.io.

preprint2020arXiv

Spectral Neural Network Potentials for Binary Alloys

In this work, we present a numerical implementation to compute the atom centered descriptors introduced by Bartok et al (Phys. Rev. B, 87, 184115, 2013) based on the harmonic analysis of the atomic neighbor density function. Specifically, we focus on two types of descriptors, the smooth SO(3) power spectrum with the explicit inclusion of a radial basis and the SO(4) bispectrum obtained through mapping the radial component onto a polar angle of a four dimensional hypersphere. With these descriptors, various interatomic potentials for binary Ni-Mo alloys are obtained based on linear and neural network regression models. Numerical experiments suggest that both descriptors produce similar results in terms of accuracy. For linear regression, the smooth SO(3) power spectrum is superior to the SO(4) bispectrum when a large band limit is used. In neural network regression, a better accuracy can be achieved with even less number of expansion components for both descriptors. As such, we demonstrate that spectral neural network potentials are feasible choices for large scale atomistic simulation.

preprint2020arXiv

Switchable Atomically Thin 2D Electrides from First-principles Prediction

Electrides, with excess anionic electrons confined in their empty space, are promising for uses in catalysis, nonlinear optics and spin-electronics. However, the application of electrides is limited by their high chemical reactivity with the environmental agents. In this work, we report the discovery of a group of two-dimensional (2D) moonolayer electrides with the presence of switchable nearly free electron (NFE) states in their electronic structures. Unlike conventional electrides, which are metals with floating electrons forming the partially occupied bands close to the Fermi level, the switchable electrides are chemically much less active semiconductors holding the NFE states that are 0.3-1.5 eV above the Fermi level. According to a high throughput search, we identified 12 2D candidates that possess such low-energy NFE states. Among them, 11 2D materials can likely be exfoliated from the known layered materials. Under external forces, such as a compressive strain, these NFE states stemming from the surface image potential will be pushed downward to cross the Fermi level. Remarkably, the critical semiconductor-metal transition can be achieved by a strain as low as 3% in 2D monolayer Na$_2$Pd$_3$O$_4$. As such, the switchable 2D electrides may provide an ideal platform for exploring novel quantum phenomena and modern electronic device applications.

preprint2016arXiv

From Graph Isoperimetric Inequality to Network Connectivity -- A New Approach

We present a new, novel approach to obtaining a network's connectivity. More specifically, we show that there exists a relationship between a network's graph isoperimetric properties and its conditional connectivity. A network's connectivity is the minimum number of nodes, whose removal will cause the network disconnected. It is a basic and important measure for the network's reliability, hence its overall robustness. Several conditional connectivities have been proposed in the past for the purpose of accurately reflecting various realistic network situations, with extra connectivity being one such conditional connectivity. In this paper, we will use isoperimetric properties of the hypercube network to obtain its extra connectivity. The result of the paper for the first time establishes a relationship between the age-old isoperimetric problem and network connectivity.

preprint2016arXiv

Prediction of a new ground state of superhard compound B6O at ambient conditions

Boron suboxide B6O, the hardest known oxide, has an R-3m crystal structure (α-B6O) that can be described as an oxygen-intercalated structure of α-boron, or, equivalently, as a cubic close packing of B12 icosahedra with two oxygen atoms occupying all octahedral voids in it. Here we show a new ground state of this compound at ambient conditions, Cmcm-B6O (\b{eta}-B6O), which in all quantum-mechanical treatments that we tested (GGA, LDA, and hybrid functional HSE06) comes out to be slightly but consistently more stable. Increasing pressure and temperature further stabilize it with respect to the known α-B6O structure. \b{eta}-B6O also has a slightly higher hardness and may be synthesized using different experimental protocols. We suggest that \b{eta}-B6O is present in mixture with α-B6O, and its presence accounts for previously unexplained bands in the experimental Raman spectrum.

preprint2015arXiv

Nitrogen oxides under pressure stability, ionization, polymerization, and superconductivity

Nitrogen oxides are textbook class of molecular compounds, with extensive industrial applications. Nitrogen and oxygen are also among the most abundant elements in the universe. We explore the N-O system at 0 K and up to 500 GPa though ab initio evolutionary simulations. Results show that two phase transformations of stable molecular NO2 exist at 7 and 64 GPa, and followed by decomposition of NO2 at 91 GPa. All of the NO+NO3- structures are found to be metastable at T=0 K, so experimentally reported ionic NO+NO3- is either metastable or stabilized by temperature. Upon increasing pressure, N2O5 transforms from P-1 to C2/c structure at 51 GPa. NO becomes thermodynamically stable at 198 GPa. This polymeric phase is superconducting (Tc = 2.0 K) and contains a -N-N- backbone.

preprint2015arXiv

Novel lithium-nitrogen compounds at ambient and high pressures

Using ab initio evolutionary simulations, we predict the existence of five novel stable Li-N compounds at pressures from 0 to 100 GPa (Li13N, Li5N, Li3N2, LiN2, and LiN5). Structures of these compounds contain of isolated N ions, N2 dimers, polyacetylene-like N chains and N5 rings, respectively. The structure of Li13N consists of Li atoms and Li12N icosahedra (with N atom in the center of the Li12 icosahedron) such icosahedra are notdescribed by Wade-Jemmis electron counting rules and are unique. Electronic structure of Li-N compounds is found to dramatically depend on composition and pressure, making this system ideal for studying metal-insulator transitions. For example, LiN3 undergoes a sequence of pressure-induced transitions: metal-insulator-metal-insulator. This work resolves the previous controversies of theory and experiment on Li2N2.

preprint2015arXiv

Phagraphene: A Low-energy Graphene Allotrope composed of 5-6-7 Carbon Rings with Distorted Dirac Cones

Using systematic evolutionary structure searching we propose a new carbon allotrope, phagraphene, standing for penta-hexa-hepta-graphene, because the structure is composed of 5-6-7 carbon rings. This two-dimensional (2D) carbon structure is lower in energy than most of the predicted 2D carbon allotropes due to its sp2-hybridization and density of atomic packing comparable to graphene. More interestingly, the electronic structure of phagraphene has distorted Dirac cones. The direction-dependent cones are further proved to be robust against external strain with tunable Fermi velocities.

preprint2015arXiv

Prediction of new thermodynamically stable aluminum oxides

Recently, it has been shown that under pressure, unexpected and counterintuitive chemical compounds become stable. Laser shock experiments (A. Rode, unpublished) on alumina (Al2O3) have shown non-equilibrium decomposition of alumina with the formation of free Al and a mysterious transparent phase. Inspired by these observations, with have explored the possibility of the formation of new chemical compounds in the system Al-O. Using the variable-composition structure prediction algorithm USPEX, in addition to the well-known Al2O3, we have found two extraordinary compounds Al4O7 and AlO2 to be thermodynamically stable in the pressure range 330-443 GPa and above 332 GPa, respectively. Both of these compounds at the same time contain oxide O2- and peroxide O22- ions, and both are insulating. Peroxo-groups are responsible for gap states, which significantly reduce the electronic band gap of both Al4O7 and AlO2.

preprint2015arXiv

Prediction of Novel Stable 2D-Silicon with Fivefold Coordination

Silicene, an analogue of graphene, was so far predicted to be the only two-dimensional silicon (2D-Si) with massless Dirac fermions. Here we predict a brand new 2D-Si Dirac semimetal, which we name siliconeet [silik'ni:t]. Unexpectedly, it has a much lower energy than silicene and robust direction-dependent Dirac cones with Fermi velocities comparable to those in graphene. Remarkably, its peculiar structure based on pentagonal rings and fivefold coordination plays a critical role in the novel electronic properties. Taking spin-orbit coupling into account, siliconeet can also be recognized as a 2D-topological insulator with a larger nontrivial band gap than silicene.

preprint2015arXiv

Stable magnesium peroxide at high pressure

Rocky planets are thought to comprise compounds of Mg and O as these are among the most abundant elements, but knowledge of their stable phases may be incomplete. MgO is known to be remarkably stable to very high pressure and chemically inert under reduced condition of the Earth's lower mantle. However, in 'icy' gas giants as well as in exoplanets oxygen may be a more abundant constituent (Ref. 1,2). Here, using synchrotron x-ray diffraction in laser-heated diamond anvil cells, we show that MgO and oxygen react at pressures above 94 GPa and T = 2150 K with the formation of the theoretically predicted I4/mcm MgO2 (Ref.3). Raman spectroscopy detects the presence of a peroxide ion (O22-) in the synthesized material as well as in the recovered specimen. Likewise, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy confirms that the recovered sample has higher oxygen content than pure MgO. Our finding suggests that MgO2 may substitute MgO in rocky mantles and rocky planetary cores under highly oxidizing conditions.

preprint2015arXiv

Superconductivity of novel tin hydrides (Sn$_n$H$_m$) under pressure

With the motivation of discovering high-temperature superconductors, evolutionary algorithm is employed to search for all stable compounds in the Sn-H system. In addition to the traditional SnH$_4$, new hydrides SnH$_8$, SnH$_{12}$ and SnH$_{14}$ are found to be thermodynamically stable at high pressure. Dynamical stability and superconductivity of tin-hydrides are systematically investigated. I$\bar{4}$m2-SnH$_8$, C2/m-SnH$_{12}$ and C2/m-SnH$_{14}$ exhibit higher superconducting transition temperatures of 81, 93 and 97 K compared to the traditional compound SnH$_4$ with T$_c$ of 52 K at 200 GPa. An interesting bent H$_3^-$ in I$\bar{4}$m2-SnH$_8$ and novel liner H$_4^-$ in C2/m-SnH$_{12}$ are observed. All the new tin-hydrides remain metallic over their predicted range of stability. The intermediate-frequency wagging and bending vibrations have more contribution to electron-phonon coupling parameter than high-frequency stretching vibrations of H$_2$ and H$_3$.

preprint2015arXiv

The Phase Diagram and Hardness of Carbon Nitrides

Novel superhard materials, especially those with superior thermal and chemical stability, are needed to replace diamond. Carbon nitrides (C-N), which are likely to possess these charac- teristics and have even been expected to be harder than diamond, are excellent candidates. Here we report three new superhard and thermodynamically stable carbon nitride phases. Based on a systematic evolutionary structure searches, we report a complete phase diagram of the C-N system at 0-300 GPa and analyze the hardest metastable structures. Surprising- ly, we find that at zero pressure, the earlier proposed graphitic-C3N4 structure (P-6m2) is dynamically unstable and the lowest energy form of structures based on s-triazine unit and s-heptazine unit have similar topology and belong to the same space group.

preprint2014arXiv

Predicted Novel Hydrogen Hydrate Structures under Pressure from First Principles

Gas hydrates are systems of prime importance. In particular, hydrogen hydrates are potential materials of icy satellites and comets, and may be used for hydrogen storage. We explore the H2O-H2 system at pressures in the range 0-100 GPa with ab initio variable-composition evolutionary simulations. According to our calculation and previous experiments, the H2O-H2 system undergoes a series of transformations with pressure, and adopts the known open-network clathrate structures (sII, C0), dense "filled ice" structures (C1, C2) and two novel hydrate phases. One of these is based on the hexagonal ice framework and has the same H2O:H2 ratio (2:1) as the C0 phase at low pressures and similar enthalpy (we name this phase Ih-C0). The other newly predicted hydrate phase has a 1:2 H2O:H2 ratio and structure based on cubic ice. This phase (which we name C3) is predicted to be thermodynamically stable above 38 GPa when including van der Waals interactions and zero-point vibrational energy, and explains previously mysterious experimental X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements. This is the hydrogen-richest hydrate and this phase has a remarkable gravimetric density (18 wt.%) of easily extractable hydrogen.

preprint2014arXiv

Semimetallic Two-Dimensional Boron Allotrope with Massless Dirac Fermions

It has been widely accepted that planar boron structures, composed of triangular and hexagonal motifs are the most stable two dimensional (2D) phases and likely precursors for boron nanostructures. Here we predict, based on ab initio evolutionary structure search, novel 2D boron structure with non-zero thickness, which is considerably, by 50 meV/atom lower in energy than the recently proposed alpha-sheet structure and its analogues. In particular, this phase is identified for the first time to have a distorted Dirac cone, after graphene and silicene the third elemental material with massless Dirac fermions. The buckling and coupling between the two sublattices not only enhance the energetic stability, but also are the key factors for the emergence of the distorted Dirac cone.

preprint2014arXiv

Unexpected Reconstruction of the alpha-Boron (111) Surface

We report on a novel reconstruction of the alpha-boron (111) surface, discovered using an ab initio evolution structure search, and reveal that it has an unexpected neat structure and much lower surface energy than the recently proposed (111)-I_R,(a) surface. For this reconstruction, every single interstitial boron atom forms bridges with the unique polar-covalent bonds between neighboring B_12 icosahedra, which perfectly meet the electron counting rule and are responsible for the reconstruction-induced metal-semiconductor transition. The peculiar charge transfer between the interstitial atoms and the icosahedra plays an important role in stabilizing the surface.

preprint2013arXiv

Evolutionary Method for Predicting Surface Reconstructions with Variable Stoichiometry

We present a specially designed evolutionary algorithm for the prediction of surface reconstructions. This new technique allows one to automatically explore all the low-energy configurations with variable surface atoms and variable surface unit cells through the whole chemical potential range. The power of evolutionary search is demonstrated by the efficient identification of diamond 2*1 (100) and 2*1 (111) surfaces with a fixed number of surface atom and a fixed cell size. With further variation of surface unit cells, we study the reconstructions of the polar surface MgO (111). Experiment has detected an oxygen trimer (ozone) motif (Plass et al, 1998). We predict a new version of this motif which can be thermodynamically stable at extreme oxygen rich condition. Finally, we perform a variable stoichiometry search for a complex ternary system: semi-polar GaN (101bar1) with and without adsorbed oxygen. The search yields a non-intuitive reconstruction based on N3-trimers. These examples demonstrate that an automated scheme to explore the energy landscape of surfaces will improve our understanding of surface reconstructions. The method presented in this report can be generally applied to binary and multi-component systems.

preprint2013arXiv

Evolutionary search for new high-k dielectric materials: methodology and applications to hafnia-based oxides

High-k dielectric materials are important as gate oxides in microelectronics and as potential dielectrics for capacitors. In order to enable computational discovery of novel high-k dielectric materials, we propose a fitness model (energy storage density) that includes the dielectric constant, bandgap, and intrinsic breakdown field. This model, used as fitness function in conjunction with first-principles calculations and global optimization evolutionary algorithm USPEX, efficiently leads to practically important results. We found a number of high-fitness structures of SiO2 and HfO2, some of which correspond to known phases and some are new. The results allow us to propose characteristics (genes) common to high-fitness structures - these are the coordination polyhedra and their degree of distortion. Our variable-composition searches in the HfO2-SiO2 system uncovered several high-fitness states. This hybrid algorithm opens up a new avenue of discovering novel high-k dielectrics with both fixed and variable compositions, and will speed up the process of materials discovery.

preprint2013arXiv

Prediction of stable hafnium carbides: their stoichiometries, mechanical properties, and electronic structure

Hafnium carbides are studied by a systematic search for possible stable stoichiometric compounds in the Hf-C system at ambient pressure using variable-composition ab initio evolutionary algorithm implemented in the USPEX code. In addition to well-known HfC, we predicted two additional compounds Hf3C2 and Hf6C5. The structure of Hf6C5 with space group C2/m contains 11 atoms in the primitive cell and this prediction revives the earlier proposal by A. I. Gusev. The stable structure of Hf3C2 also has space group C2/m, and is more energetically favorable than the Immm, P-3m1, P2 and C2221 structures put forward by A. I. Gusev. Dynamical and mechanical stability of the newly predicted structures have been verified by calculations of their phonons and elastic constants. The bulk and shear moduli of Hf3C2 are 195.8 GPa and 143.1 GPa, respectively, while for Hf6C5 they are 227.9 GPa and 187.2 GPa, respectively. Their mechanical properties are inferior to those of HfC due to the presence of structural vacancies. Chemical bonding, band structure, and Bader charge are presented and discussed.

preprint2013arXiv

Unexpected stable stoichiometries of sodium chlorides

Sodium chloride (NaCl), or rocksalt, is well characterized at ambient pressure. Due to the large electronegativity difference between Na and Cl atoms, it has highly ionic chemical bonding, with stoichiometry 1:1 dictated by charge balance, and B1-type crystal structure. Here, by combining theoretical predictions and diamond anvil cell experiments we show that new materials with different stoichiometries emerge at pressure as low as 20 GPa. Compounds such us Na3Cl, Na2Cl, Na3Cl2, NaCl3 and NaCl7 are theoretically stable and have unusual bonding and electronic properties. To test this prediction, at 55-80 GPa we synthesized cubic and orthorhombic NaCl3 at 55-70 GPa and 2D-metallic tetragonal Na3Cl. This proves that novel compounds, violating chemical intuition, can be thermodynamically stable even in simplest systems at non-ambient conditions.

preprint2012arXiv

Constrained evolutionary algorithm for structure prediction of molecular crystals: methodology and applications

Evolutionary crystal structure prediction proved to be a powerful approach for studying a wide range of materials. Here, we present a specifically designed algorithm for the prediction of the structure of complex crystals consisting of well-defined molecular units. The main feature of this new approach is that each unit is treated as a whole body, which drastically reduces the search space and improves the efficiency, but necessitates the introduction of new variation operators described here. To increase diversity of the population of structures, the initial population and part($\scriptsize{\sim}$20%) of the new generations are generated using space group symmetry combined with random cell parameters and random positions and orientations of molecular units. We illustrate the efficiency and reliability of this approach by number of tests (ice, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, benzene, glycine and butane-1,4-diammonium dibromide). This approach easily predicts the crystal structure of methane \emph{A} containing 21 methane molecules (105 atoms) per unit cell. We demonstrate that this new approach has also a high potential for the study of complex inorganic crystals on the examples of a complex hydrogen storage material Mg(BH$_4$)$_2$ and elemental boron.

preprint2012arXiv

Evolutionary Metadynamics: a Novel Method to Predict Crystal Structures

A novel method for crystal structure prediction, based on metadynamics and evolutionary algorithms, is presented here. This technique can be used to produce efficiently both the ground state and metastable states easily reachable from a reasonable initial structure. We use the cell shape as collective variable and evolutionary variation operators developed in the context of the USPEX method [Oganov, Glass, \textit{J. Chem. Phys.}, 2006, \textbf{124}, 244704; Lyakhov \textit{et al., Comp. Phys. Comm.}, 2010, \textbf{181}, 1623; Oganov \textit{et al., Acc. Chem. Res.}, 2011, \textbf{44}, 227] to equilibrate the system as a function of the collective variables. We illustrate how this approach helps one to find stable and metastable states for Al$_2$SiO$_5$, SiO$_2$, MgSiO$_3$, and carbon. Apart from predicting crystal structures, the new method can also provide insight into mechanisms of phase transitions.

preprint2012arXiv

First-Principles Determination of the Structure of Magnesium Borohydride

The energy landscape of Mg(BH4)2 under pressure is explored by ab initio evolutionary calculations. Two new tetragonal structures, with space groups P-4 and I41/acd are predicted to be lower in enthalpy, by 15.4 kJ/mol and 21.2 kJ/mol, respectively, than the earlier proposed P42nm phase. We have simulated X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, lattice dynamics, and equations of state (EOS) of these phases. The density, volume contraction, bulk modulus, and the simulated XRD patterns of I41/acd and P-4 structures are in excellent agreement with the experimental results.

preprint2012arXiv

Measurement of phase fluctuations of Bose-Einstein condensates in an optical lattice

Even at zero temperature, there exist phase fluctuations associated with an array of Bose-Einstein condensates confined in a one-dimensional optical lattice. We demonstrate a method to measure the phase fluctuations based on the Fourier spectrum of the atomic density for a condensate released from the optical lattice. The phase variance is extracted from the relative intensities of different peaks in the Fourier spectrum. This method works even for high lattice strength where interference peaks disappear in the atomic density distribution.

preprint2012arXiv

Stability of xenon oxides at high pressures

Xenon, which is quite inert under ambient conditions, may become reactive under pressure. The possibility of formation of stable xenon oxides and silicates in the interior of the Earth could explain the atmospheric missing xenon paradox. Using the ab initio evolutionary algorithm, we predict the thermodynamical stabilization of Xe-O compounds at high pressures (XeO, XeO2 and XeO3 at pressures above 83, 102 and 114 GPa, respectively). Our calculations indicate large charge transfer in these oxides, suggesting that large electronegativity difference and pressure are the key factors favoring the formation of xenon compounds. Xenon compounds in the Earth's mantle, however, cannot directly explain the missing xenon paradox: xenon oxides are unstable in equilibrium with metallic iron in the Earth's lower mantle, while xenon silicates are predicted to spontaneously decompose at all mantle pressures (<136 GPa). This does not preclude Xe atoms from being retained in defects of mantle silicates and oxides.

preprint2012arXiv

Systematic search for low-enthalpy sp3 carbon using evolutionary metadynamics

We present a systematic search for low-energy metastable superhard carbon allotropes by using the recently developed evolutionary metadynamics technique. It is known that cold compression of graphite produces an allotrope at 15-20 GPa. Here we look for all low-enthalpy structures accessible from graphite. Starting from 2H- or 3R-graphite and applying the pressure of 20 GPa, a large variety of intermediate $sp^3$ carbon allotropes were observed in evolutionary metadynamics simulation. Our calculation not only found all the previous proposed candidates for `superhard graphite', but also predicted two allotropes (\emph{X}-carbon and \emph{Y}-carbon) showing novel 5+7 and 4+8 topologies. These superhard carbon allotropes can be classified into five families based on 6 (diamond/lonsdaleite), 5+7 (\emph{M/W}-carbon), 5+7 (\emph{X}-carbon), 4+8 (bct C$_4$), and 4+8 (\emph{Y}-carbon) topologies. This study shows evolutionary metadynamics is a powerful approach both to find the global minima and systematically search for low-energy metastable phases reachable from given starting materials.

preprint2012arXiv

Unexpected stable stoichiometries of sodium chlorides

At ambient pressure, sodium, chlorine, and their only known compound NaCl, have well-understood crystal structures and chemical bonding. Sodium is a nearly-free-electron metal with the bcc structure. Chlorine is a molecular crystal, consisting of Cl2 molecules. Sodium chloride, due to the large electronegativity difference between Na and Cl atoms, has highly ionic chemical bonding, with stoichiometry 1:1 dictated by charge balance, and rocksalt (B1-type) crystal structure in accordance with Pauling's rules. Up to now, Na-Cl was thought to be an ultimately simple textbook system. Here, we show that under pressure the stability of compounds in the Na-Cl system changes and new materials with different stoichiometries emerge at pressure as low as 25 GPa. In addition to NaCl, our theoretical calculations predict the stability of Na3Cl, Na2Cl, Na3Cl2, NaCl3 and NaCl7 compounds with unusual bonding and electronic properties. The bandgap is closed for the majority of these materials. Guided by these predictions, we have synthesized cubic NaCl3 at 55-60 GPa in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell at temperatures above 2000 K.

preprint2012arXiv

Unexpected Stoichiometries in Mg-O System under High Pressure

Using ab initio evolutionary simulations, we explore all the possible stoichiometries for Mg-O system at pressures up to 850 GPa. In addition to MgO, our calculations find that two extraordinary compounds MgO2 and Mg3O2 become thermodynamically stable at 116 GPa and 500 GPa, respectively. Detailed chemical bonding analysis shows large charge transfer in all magnesium oxides. MgO2 contains peroxide ions [O-O]2-, while non-nuclear electron density maxima play the role of anions in the electride compound Mg3O2. The latter compound is calculated to have a much narrower band gap compared to MgO and MgO2. We discuss conditions at which MgO2 and Mg3O2 might exist in planetary conditions.

preprint2011arXiv

Extra connectivity measures of 3-ary n-cubes

The h-extra connectivity is an important parameter to measure the reliability and fault tolerance ability of large interconnection networks. The k-ary n-cube is an important interconnection network of parallel computing systems. The 1-restricted connectivity of k-ary n-cubes has been obtained by Chen et al. for k > 3 in [Y.-C. Chen, J. J. M. Tan, Restricted connectivity for three families of interconnection networks, Applied Mathematics and Computation 188 (2) (2007)1848--1855]. Nevertheless, the h-extra connectivity of 3-ary n-cubes has not been obtained yet. In this paper we prove that the 1-extra connectivity of a 3-ary n-cube is 4n-3 for n> 1 and the 2-extra connectivity of 3-ary n-cube is 6n-7 for n> 2.