In this work, the electronic structure and optical behavior and the thermoelectric performance of the known HfNiSn compound have been studied under the substitution of Mn transition metal instead of Ni atoms. Necessary calculations are performed in the framework of DFT first principles studies by applying generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA) as well as solving Boltzmann’s semi-classical equations. The entering Mn leads to a change in the electronic structure of HfNiSn and the occurrence of half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior with 100% polarization at the Fermi level. The maximum ZT value obtained for HfMnSn shows that HfNiSn would be suitable for thermoelectric applications at room temperature, both in pure and Mn presence. The examination of optical parameters also indicates good absorption in the visible range for this compound in all cases.

Mechanical, electronic, thermodynamic phase diagram and optical properties of the FeVSb half-Heusler have been studied based on the density functional theory (DFT) framework. Studies have shown that this structure in the MgAgAs-type phase has static and dynamic mechanical stability with high thermodynamic phase consistency. Electronic calculations showed that this compound is a p-type semiconductor with an indirect energy gap of 0.39 eV. This compound’s optical response occurs in the infrared, visible regions, and at higher energies its dielectric sign is negative. The Plasmon oscillations have occurred in 20 eV, and its refraction index shifts to zero in 18 eV.

The half-metallic, mechanical, and transport properties of the quaternary Heusler compound of PdZrTiAl is discussed under hydrostatic pressures in the range of –11.4 GPa to 18.4 GPa in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) and Boltzmann quasi-classical theory using the generalization gradient approximation (GGA). By applying the stress, the band gap in the minor spin increases so that the lowest band is obtained 0.25 eV at the pressure of –11.4 GPa while the maximum gap is calculated 0.9 eV at the pressure of 18.4 GPa. In all positive and negative pressures, the PdZrTiAl composition exhibits a half-metallic behavior 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level. It is also found that applying stress increases the Seebeck coefficient in both spin directions. In the minority spin, the n-type PdZrTiAl, the power factor (PF) for all the cases is greater in the equilibrium state than the strain and stress conditions whereas in the majority spin, the PF value of the stress state is greater than the other two. The non-dimensional figure of merit (ZT) is significant and is about one in spin down in the room temperature for the all pressure states that it remains on this value by applying pressure. The obtained elastic constants indicate that the PdZrTiAl crystalline structure has a mechanical stability. Based on the Yong (E), Bulk (B) and shear (G) modulus and Poisson (n) ratio, the brittle-ductile behavior of this compound has been investigated under pressure. The results indicate that PdZrTiAl has a ductile nature and it is a stiffness compound in which elastic and mechanical instability increases by applying strain.

The electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of PtCoBi half-Heusler compound [001] surfaces and its bulk state have been investigated in the framework of density functional theory using GGA approximation. The half-metallic behaviors of CoBi-term, CoPt-term and PtBi-term decrease with respect to its bulk state. The spin polarization at the Fermi level is 73.2% for the bulk state, and it is –64.4% and –64.1% for the CoBi-term and PtBi-term, respectively while less polarization has been observed for the ­CoPt-term. All terminations have given almost similar optical responses to light. Plasmon oscillations for the terminations occur in the range of 12.5 to 14.5 eV (21 to 22 eV) along xx (zz), and it occurs at 23 eV for the bulk state. The refractive index for the bulk and all three terminations is very high in the infrared and visible areas, meaning a very strong metallic trend in these compounds. The phenomenon of super-luminance occurs for the incident light with energy exceeding 5.5 eV for all three terminations, and it occurs in the range of 10 eV for the bulk mode. These terminations show transparent behavior after the energy of 10 eV.

The electronic, optical and thermoelectric properties of MoS2 nano-sheet in presence of the Ru impurity have been calculated by density functional theory framework with Generalized Gradient approximation. The MoRuS2 nano-sheet electronic structure was changed to the n-type semiconductor by 1.3 eV energy gap. The optical coefficients were shown that the loosing optical energy occurred in the higher ultraviolet region, so this compound is a promising candidate for optical sensing in the infrared and visible range. The thermoelectric behaviors were implied to the good merit parameter in the 100K range and room temperatures and also has high amount of power factor in 600K which made it for power generators applications.