Atomic structure of amorphous CdO from first principles simulations

Amorphous CdO (a-CdO) is obtained by cooling the liquid at a sufficiently fast cooling rate using first-principles simulations. The topology of the amorphous model is examined using a variety of analyzing techniques. The local structural arrangement of a-CdO is found to be partially similar to that of crystalline phase. The model is chemically ordered but consists of a significant amount of coordination defects. a-CdO is predicted to be a semiconductor with a band gap energy less than the crystalline state. It is likely that a-CdO might serve as a novel electronic material. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.