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Efficient machine learning interatomic potentials robust for liquid and multiple solid polymorphs of NaF and KF

Zhao Fan1,2, Michael L. Whittaker1,3,*, and Mark Asta1,2,†

  • *Contact author: mwhittaker@lbl.gov
  • †Contact author: mdasta@lbl.gov
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Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 103406 – Published 31 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xbfm-clgd

Abstract

Achieving atomic-level understanding of crystallization of molten salts is of importance to a wide range of technological applications. Recent work [Fan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 122, e2425702122 (2025)] revealed that crystal nucleation in molten LiF salt is a multistage process according to the molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations based on an atomic cluster expansion (ACE) machine-learning interatomic potential (MLIP). In order to understand the influence of increasing cation size on nucleation pathways and nucleation rates of molten fluoride salts, here we develop two new ACE MLIPs for NaF and KF. The two ACE MLIPs feature DFT-SCAN-level accuracy for liquid and multiple solid polymorphs over a wide temperature (0–2000 K) and pressure (0–100 GPa) range, and also reproduce well a number of experimental data for solid and liquid equilibrium properties. The efficiency of the two ACE MLIPs enable million-atom-scale or microsecond-scale MD simulations. The two general-purpose ACE MLIPs are expected to be useful for atomistic simulations for different purposes, in addition to studying crystallization of molten NaF and KF salts.

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Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 103406– Published 31 October, 2025
  • Received 30 July 2025
  • Accepted 10 September 2025
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