Computational Materials Discovery

New technologies are made possible by new materials, and until recently new materials could only be discovered experimentally. Recent advances in solving the crystal structure prediction problem means that the computational design of materials is now a reality. Computational Materials Discovery provides a comprehensive review of this field covering different computational methodologies as well as specific applications of materials design. The book starts by illustrating how and why first-principle calculations have gained importance in the process of materials discovery. The book is then split into three sections, the first exploring different approaches and ideas including crystal structure prediction from evolutionary approaches, data mining methods and applications of machine learning. Section two then looks at examples of designing specific functional materials with special technological relevance for example photovoltaic materials, superconducting materials, topological insulators and thermoelectric materials. The final section considers recent developments in creating low-dimensional materials. With contributions from pioneers and leaders in the field, this unique and timely book provides a convenient entry point for graduate students, researchers and industrial scientists on both the methodologies and applications of the computational design of materials.

New technologies are made possible by new materials, and until recently new materials could only be discovered experimentally. Recent advances in solving the crystal structure prediction problem means that the computational design of materials is now a reality.

Computational Materials Discovery provides a comprehensive review of this field covering different computational methodologies as well as specific applications of materials design. The book starts by illustrating how and why first-principle calculations have gained importance in the process of materials discovery. The book is then split into three sections, the first exploring different approaches and ideas including crystal structure prediction from evolutionary approaches, data mining methods and applications of machine learning. Section two then looks at examples of designing specific functional materials with special technological relevance for example photovoltaic materials, superconducting materials, topological insulators and thermoelectric materials. The final section considers recent developments in creating low-dimensional materials.

With contributions from pioneers and leaders in the field, this unique and timely book provides a convenient entry point for graduate students, researchers and industrial scientists on both the methodologies and applications of the computational design of materials.

"New technologies are made possible by new materials, and until recently new materials could only be discovered experimentally. Recent advances in solving the crystal structure prediction problem means that the computational design of materials is now a reality. Computational Materials Discovery provides a comprehensive review of this field covering different computational methodologies as well as specific applications of materials design. The book starts by illustrating how and why first-principle calculations have gained importance in the process of materials discovery. The book is then split into three sections, the first exploring different approaches and idea including crystal structure prediction from evolutionary approaches, data mining methods and applications of machine learning. Section two then looks at examples of designing specific functional materials with special technological relevance for example photovoltaic materials, superconducting materials, topological insulators and thermoelectric materials. The final section considers recent developments in creating low-dimensional materials. With contributions from pioneers and leaders in the field, this unique and timely book provides a convenient entry point for graduate students, researchers and industrial scientists on both the methodologies and applications of the computational design of materials"-- Back cover 3.6 Further ReadingReferences; Chapter 4 Embedding Methods in Materials Discovery; 4.1 Preamble; 4.2 Background; 4.3 Embedding Methods; 4.3.1 Partitioning of the Structure and Interactions; 4.3.2 Self-consistent Embedding; 4.3.3 Beyond DFT Treatment of the Cluster Part -- Viva Quantum Chemistry; 4.4 Applications; 4.4.1 Why Embedding?; 4.4.2 Energetics; 4.4.3 Spectroscopic Properties; 4.4.4 Electronic Properties; 4.4.5 Hybrid Embedding Approach; 4.4.6 Derivation of Model Parameters; 4.5 Outlook; Acknowledgements; References; Chapter 5 Chemical Bonding Investigations for Materials 2.2.9 A Few Comments on the Performance of the Method2.3 A Few Illustrations of the Method; 2.3.1 Novel Chemistry of the Elements Under Pressure; 2.3.2 Low-dimensional States of the Elements; 2.3.3 Discovering New Chemical Compounds at High Pressure ... and Even at Zero Pressure; 2.3.4 Hunt for High-Tc Superconductivity; 2.3.5 Low-dimensional Systems: Surfaces, Polymers, Nanoparticles, Proteins; 2.4 Conclusions; Acknowledgements; References; Chapter 3 Applications of Machine Learning for Representing Interatomic Interactions; 3.1 Introduction; 3.1.1 Quantum-mechanical Models 3.1.2 Empirical Interatomic Potentials3.1.3 Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials; 3.2 Simple Problem: Fitting of Potential Energy Surfaces; 3.2.1 Representation of Atomic Systems; 3.2.2 An Overview of Machine Learning Methods; 3.3 Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials; 3.3.1 Representation of Atomic Environments; 3.3.2 Existing MLIPs; 3.4 Fitting and Testing of Interatomic Potentials; 3.4.1 Optimization Algorithms; 3.4.2 Validation and Cross-validation; 3.4.3 Learning on the Fly; 3.5 Discussion; 3.5.1 Which Potential Is Better?; 3.5.2 Open Problems in MLIP Development Cover; Copyright; Editor Biographies; Contents; Chapter 1 Computational Materials Discovery: Dream or Reality?; Acknowledgements; References; Chapter 2 Computational Materials Discovery Using Evolutionary Algorithms; 2.1 A Bit of Theory; 2.1.1 Combinatorial Complexity of the Problem; 2.2 How the Method Works; 2.2.1 Initialization; 2.2.2 Representation; 2.2.3 Fitness Function; 2.2.4 Selection; 2.2.5 Variation Operators; 2.2.6 How to Avoid Getting Stuck to Local Minima; 2.2.7 Extension to Variable-composition Systems; 2.2.8 Extension to Molecular Crystals Until a few years ago, new materials could only be discovered experimentally. Now the situation is dramatically different with advances in computational techniques. This is the first book to provide a systematic review of computational materials discovery, covering different methods and materials discovery for specific classes of materials including low-dimensional materials. The book is a convenient introduction for young researchers and industrial scientists to the topic of computational materials design. A unique and timely book providing an overview of both the methodologies and applications of computational materials design.