Band structure derived properties of HfO₂ from first principles calculations

The electronic band structures and optical properties of cubic, tetragonal, and monoclinic phases of HfO₂ are calculated using the first-principles linear augmented plane-wave method, within the density functional theory and generalized gradient approximation, and taking into account full-relativistic contributions. From the band structures, the electron- and hole-effective masses were obtained. Relativistic effects play an important role, which is reflected in the effective masses values and in the detailed structure of the dielectric function. The calculated imaginary part of the dielectric function and refractive index are in good agreement with the data reported in the literature.