First-Principles Calculation of the Electronic Structure of SrTiO₃

Abstract

The electronic structure, band structure, density of states (DOS) and electronic density difference of paraelectric SrTiO3 in the cubic phase were performed by the first-principles calculation based on the density functional theory (DFT). The energy levels of high symmetry points in the Brillouin zone were listed and Mulliken population analysis was performed for valence bond structures. The top valence band of SrTiO3 is at the R point, and the minimum of the conduction bands is at the Γ point. The calculated value for indirect band gap is 1.84eV in the Brillouin zone. As in other perovskite ABO3 ferroelectrics, the population analysis, DOS and electron density difference show that there is a very strong hybridization between the Ti3d and O2p states in the valence bands, which is responsible for the ferroelectricity tendency.