Solving a problem with a single parameter: A smooth bcc to fcc phase transition for metallic lithium

Abstract

Density functional calculations for metallic lithium along a cuboidal bcc-to-fcc transformation path demonstrate that the bcc phase is quasi-degenerate with the fcc phase with a very small activation barrier of 0.1~kJ/mol, but becomes the dominant phase at higher temperatures in accordance with Landau theory. This resolves the long-standing controversy about the two phases for lithium.