Comparative theoretical studies of BAs, AlAs, BBi and BSb compounds using density functional theory

Abstract

A comprehensive investigation was conducted to analyze the physical properties, including electronic structure, optical characteristics, and thermoelectric properties, of four zinc blend structures: BAs, AlAs, BBi, and BSb. This analysis utilized first-principles calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Boltzmann transport theories, implemented in the WIEN2K simulator program. The compounds examined displayed intriguing electronic and optical properties, such as low indirect band gaps of 0.726, 1.888, 0.867, and 1.51 eV for AlAs, BAs, BBi, and BSb, respectively. Moreover, these compounds exhibited high absorption in the UV–Visible region. Among the four compounds studied, BAs demonstrated exceptional structural stability due to its high bulk modulus and negative formation energy. The thermoelectric study revealed that the Seebeck coefficient decreased with increasing temperature, while the figure of merit was proportional to temperature enhancement. This behavior suggests that the investigated materials hold promise for applications in visible-light solar cell devices.