Wide band gap tunability of bulk Cd1-xCaxO

We report the lattice parameter variation and the band gap tuning of CdO with Ca by preparing thermodynamically stable Cd1-xCaxO solid solution in the entire composition range 0 <= x <= 1. The functional dependence of the lattice parameter on Ca concentration is found to deviate from Vegard's law. The principal band gap is found to vary nonmonotonically over a wide range, from 1.4 to 3.9 eV for 0 <= x <= 0.8. First principles density functional theory calculations, using full potential linearized augmented plane wave methods also predict a nonlinear variation for the lattice parameter and the optical band gap with Ca concentration. From these calculations, contributions from volume deformation, electron transfer, and structural relaxation are estimated and the results are compared with experiments. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3526300]