High-throughput modeling of atomic diffusion migration energy barrier of fcc metals

Abstract

In crystalline solids, to computationally determine atomic migration energy barrier is a highly time consuming challenge within the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT). Through first-principle calculations, here we have proposed a simple, high-throughput formula to fast, effectively calculate atomic migration energy barrier for fcc metals through three basic parameters of materials, the equilibrium volume (V0), the bulk modulus (B0) and the Poisson's ratio (ν). This formula is useful not only for the ideal strain-free lattices but also for the uniaxially strained lattices. It has been further validated by a series of fcc metals when compared with both available experimental or theoretical data and DFT-derived data obtained by Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method. Moreover, we have investigated the effect of uniaxial deformation on the diffusion behavior of vacancy in fcc metals. Our calculations revealed that in fcc metals under uniaxial tensile deformation, vacancy prefers to diffuse along the direction that is perpendicular to the uniaxial tensile deformation.