title: Stability in bcc transition metals: Madelung and band-energy effects due to alloying.
abstract: The phase stability of group VB (V, Nb, and Ta) transition metals is explored by first-principles electronic-structure calculations. Alloying with a small amount of a neighboring metal can either stabilize or destabilize the body-centered-cubic phase relative to low-symmetry rhombohedral phases. We show that band-structure effects determine phase stability when a particular group VB metal is alloyed with its nearest neighbors within the same d-transition series. In this case, the neighbor with less (to the left) and more (to the right) d electrons destabilize and stabilize bcc, respectively. When alloying with neighbors of higher d-transition series, electrostatic Madelung energy dominates and stabilizes the body-centered-cubic phase. This surprising prediction invalidates current understanding of simple d-electron bonding that dictates high-symmetry cubic and hexagonal phases.
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter and Materials Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Landa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Söderlind
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ruban
authors.forename: O E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Peil
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitos