LuN

LuN is a stable, semiconducting rare-earth nitride material used in advanced solid-state research.

LuN
Crystal structure of LuN (cubic, Fm-3m (No. 225))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About LuN

Lutetium nitride is a thermodynamically stable compound that sits directly on the convex hull, indicating significant structural robustness. As a semiconducting material, it represents a specialized niche within the broader family of rare-earth nitrides, offering unique electronic characteristics for material science research.

Its stability and well-documented structural profile make it an intriguing candidate for investigation in high-performance electronics. Researchers utilize this compound to better understand the interplay between heavy lanthanide elements and nitrogen in forming stable, functional solid-state architectures.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for LuN, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

0.23–2.22 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

38
5 databases, 9 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of LuN. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

All match
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for LuN, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——0.500.0000-1.984—
Fm-3m (No. 225)cubic0.350.0000-2.114—
Fm-3m (No. 225)cubic0.230.0000-25.82011.91
——0.470.0002-1.983—
——1.070.1092-1.874—
——2.220.2806-1.703—
——0.350.5068-1.477—
——0.000.7269-1.257—
——0.001.0147-0.969—
——0.001.2295-0.754—
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic———9.85
P-1 (No. 2)triclinic———7.13
Uses

Applications

Where LuN is used.

Semiconductor researchSolid-state electronic materialsRare-earth material studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LuN, answered from cross-validated data.

What is LuN?

LuN is a stable, semiconducting rare-earth nitride material used in advanced solid-state research.

More questions
What is LuN used for?
LuN is used in semiconductor research, solid-state electronic materials, and rare-earth material studies.
What is the band gap of LuN?
LuN has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.23–2.22 eV across 38 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is LuN a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.22 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is LuN thermodynamically stable?
Yes — LuN sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of LuN?
The reference structure of LuN is cubic symmetry, space group Fm-3m (No. 225).
How many polymorphs of LuN are known?
38 structures of LuN are reported across 5 databases, spanning 9 distinct space groups.
What elements does LuN contain?
LuN contains Lu and N (2 elements).
Where does the data for LuN come from?
LuN data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe, cod.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a rare-earth nitride, LuN occupies a distinct position due to the unique electronic configuration of the lutetium cation. While many nitrides in this class are explored for their magnetic or optical properties, LuN is particularly notable for its thermodynamic stability, serving as a reliable benchmark for studying the structural evolution of lanthanide-based semiconductors.

Data sources & attribution
  • oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)

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