We present a Raman-scattering study of the interlayer and intralayer E2g Raman-active modes of hexagonal boron nitride (h−BN) under hydrostatic pressure for pressures up to the transition to the wurtzite phase (10.5 GPa). Pressure coefficients and Grüneisen parameters are determined for both modes, and are compared to ab initio calculations based on density functional perturbation theory. The pressure coefficient of the low-energy interlayer mode is higher than that of the high-energy intralayer mode owing to the large compressibility of the h−BN crystal along the c direction. Both modes exhibit a sublinear phonon frequency increase with pressure, which is more marked in the case of the low-energy mode. The intensity of the low-energy mode increases with pressure, suggesting an enhancement of the mode polarizability as the honeycomb layers become closer. The Raman spectrum of the metastable wurtzite phase is observed at ambient pressure in the transited sample after decompression.

This work has been supported by the Spanish MINECO/FEDER under Contracts No. MAT2015-71035-R and No. MAT2016-75586-C4-1-P. Support for the h-BN crystal growth from the Materials Engineering and Processing program of the National Science Foundation, Grant No. CMMI 1538127, is greatly appreciated.

Peer reviewed