Irradiation-Induced Defects and Their Effects on the Electronic Structures in T-Carbon

T-carbon is a new carbon allotrope predicted theoretically and synthesized experimentally. By combing empirical potential molecular dynamics with first-principles calculations, we investigated the displacement threshold energy of T-carbon and cascade collision processes as well as the effects of typical defects induced by a collision on its electronic properties. It was found that the displacement threshold energy was anisotropic in T-carbon, and the minimum was much smaller than that of diamond. The electronic structures of T-carbon could be tuned effectively by irradiation, and the mechanism was expounded by analyzing the band structures and density of states. Our study enables a more in-depth understanding of T-carbon, exploring the irradiation resistance of T-carbon and revealing the mechanism of defects formed. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the application of T-carbon in a radiation environment.