Electronic properties of novel 6 K superconductor LiFeP in comparison with LiFeAs from first principles calculations

Very recently, the new 6 K superconductor (SC) LiFeP, the first arsenic-free analog of the family of the so-called “111” FeAs SCs, was discovered. Here, based on first-principle FLAPW-GGA calculations, the band structure, density of states, Fermi surface topology, electron density distribution and effective atomic charges for the new SC LiFeP are investigated for the first time and discussed in comparison with isostructural and isoelectronic LiFeAs. In addition, the theoretical shapes of FeL X-ray emission spectra for LiFeP and LiFeAs are evaluated and compared with available experiments.