Strain Engineering of the CeNi5 System

The effect of strain on the CeNi5 system has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT). The studies have shown that localised Ce 4f and Ni 3d states carry the magnetic moment of the material. The Ce 4f moment remains relatively unchanged during strain whereas the Ni 3d moment increases as the strain becomes increasingly tensile in both the basal and non-basal directions. A significant strain-dependent interaction exists between delocalised, non-magnetic Ce 6s–Ni 4s states. A weaker group of Ni 3d–Ce 6s/Ni 4s and Ni 3d–Ni 3d interactions exist, indicating that competing localised and delocalised mechanisms act on the Ni 3d states during strain.