DFT insights into surface properties of anti-perovskite 3D topological crystalline insulators: A case study of (001) surfaces of Ca3SnO

Abstract

In this letter density functional theory calculations are used for investigating the structural, energetic and electronic properties of CaSn- and Ca2O-terminated (001) surfaces of anti-perovskite Ca3SnO. Our calculations indicate larger structural changes in case of the CaSn-terminated (001) surface of Ca3SnO, however, both CaSn- and Ca2O-terminated surfaces of Ca3SnO are found to be energetically stable. The electronic properties of (001) surfaces of Ca3SnO are examined by taking spin-orbit coupling into account. Comparison of the simulated results of electronic properties for the two (001) surfaces of Ca3SnO with experimentally reported hole carrier densities observed in p-type polycrystalline samples show good agreement.