Relativistic R-matrix studies of photoionization processes of Ar^5＋

The 3s–np photoionization processes of the ground state 2P1/2 and the metastable state 2P3/2 of Ar5＋ are investigated using our recently developed relativistic R-matrix code, where the interactions between the bound states and the continuum states are included. Both resonance positions and the oscillator strengths are in much better agreement with the absolute experimental measurements by Wang et al.[Wang J C, Lu M, Esteves D, Habibi M, Alna’washi G and Phaneuf R A 2007 Phys. Rev. A 75 062712] with a resolution of 80 meV than their theoretical results. The contributions of the two experimental unresolved transitions are distinguished in our calculations, which show that the transitions from the ground state also make significant contributions to some resonances. Our theoretical results are also in good agreement with the measurements for the first resonance with a higher resolution of 20 meV.     

Justification of a Monte Carlo Algorithm for the Diffusion-Growth Simulation of Helium Clusters in Materials

A theoretical analysis of a Monte Carlo （MC） method for the simulation of the diffusion-growth of helium clusters in materials is presented. This analysis is based on an assumption that the diffusion-growth process consists of first stage, during which the clusters diffuse freely, and second stage in which the coalescence occurs with certain probability. Since the accuracy of MC simulation results is sensitive to the coalescence probability, the MC calculations in the second stage is studied in detail. Firstly, the coalescence probability is analytically formulated for the one-dimensional diffusion-growth ease. Thereafter, the one-dimensional results are employed to justify the MC simulation. The choice of time step and the random number generator used in the MC simulation are discussed.     

An Effective Method of Producing Small Neutral Carbon Clusters

An effective method of producing small neutral carbon dusters Cn （n = 1-6） is described. The small carbon dusters （positive or negative charge or neutral） are formed by plasma which are produced by a high power 532nm pulse laser ablating the surface of the metal Mn rod to react with small hydrocarbons supplied by a pulse valve, then the neutral carbon clusters are extracted and photo-ionized by another laser （266nm or 355nm） in the ionization region of a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The distributions of the initial neutral carbon dusters are analysed with the ionic species appeared in mass spectra. It is observed that the yield of small carbon dusters with the present method is about 10 times than that of the traditional widely used technology of laser vaporization of graphite.     

Relativistic RRR-matrix studies of photoionization processes of Ar~(5+)

The 3s–np photoionization processes of the ground state 2P1/2 and the metastable state 2P3/2 of Ar5+ are investigated using our recently developed relativistic R-matrix code, where the interactions between the bound states and the continuum states are included. Both resonance positions and the oscillator strengths are in much better agreement with the absolute experimental measurements by Wang et al. [Wang J C, Lu M, Esteves D, Habibi M, Alna'washi G and Phaneuf R A 2007 Phys. Rev. A 75 062712] with a resolution of 80 meV than their theoretical results. The contributions of the two experimental unresolved transitions are distinguished in our calculations, which show that the transitions from the ground state also make significant contributions to some resonances. Our theoretical results are also in good agreement with the measurements for the first resonance with a higher resolution of 20 meV.     

Influence of Incident Velocity on the Penetration for C20 Clusters Moving through Oxides

A theoretical model is established to simulate the penetration process of C20 clusters in oxides （Al2O3, SiO2） at different incident velocities. The induced spatial potential by the incident clusters is described by the dielectric response formalism, in which the Mermin-type dielectric function is adopted to provide a realistic evaluation of the electronic properties of the oxides. The charge distribution of individual ions is derived by using the Brandt-Kitagawa effective charge model, also under the consideration of the asymmetric influence from the wake potential. The stopping power of the clusters and the Coulomb explosion processes are derived by solving the motion equation of the individual ions, when taking into account the multiple scattering effect simulated by using the Monte Carlo method. It is found that the dynamical interaction potential between ions leads to a spatial asymmetry to the cluster structure and the charge distribution for high velocity clusters, and will not be in effect as the incident velocities decrease.     

Excitation and decay dynamics of 1s2s inner-shell double-vacancy states of neon atoms

The photo-excitation and Auger decay processes of inner-shell double vacancy states 1s2s2p^6（1,3^S）3s3p of neutral neon atoms have been studied theoretically. Multi-configuration Dirac-Fock （MCDF） calculations have been carried out, with electron correlation effects taken into consideration. The relaxation of core and excited orbitals and configuration interaction are found to be crucial to creating the double vacancy states by single photo-absorption. The predominant decay paths for the double vacancy states turn out to be of the LLM Auger decay to 1s 2s^22p^53s（3p）, KLL Auger decay to 1s^22s2p^43s3p, and KLM Auger decay to 1s^22p^63s（3p）. They lead to further Auger decay, creating the neon ions of multiple charge states. For both double and single vacancy states the spectator type of Auger process is dominated in all the Auger decay processes. Theoretical Anger electron spectra are presented for further investigations, experimental and theoretical.     

Systematic description of nuclear electric quadrupole moments

The nuclear electric quadrupole moment(NQM) is one of the fundamental bulk properties of the nucleus with which nuclear deformations can be investigated. The number of measured NQMs is significantly less than that of known masses, and there is still no global NQM formula for all bound nuclei. In this paper, we propose an analytical formula, which includes the shell corrections and which is the function of the charge number, mass number, spin,charge radius, and nuclear deformation, for calculating the NQMs of all bound nuclei. Our calculated NQMs of 524 nuclei in their ground states are reasonable compared to the experimental data based on the nuclear deformation parameters derived from the Weizs¨acker-Skyrme(WS) nuclear mass models. Smaller rms deviations between the calculated NQMs and experimental data indicate that the deformation parameters predicted from the WS mass models are reasonable. In addition, 161 unmeasured NQMs with known spins are also predicted with the proposed formula.     

Quantum-Mechanical Study of Small Au2Pdn （n=1 ～ 4） Clusters

Gold-doped palladium clusters, Au2Pdn （n=1～4）, are investigated using the density functional method B3LYP with relativistic effective core potentials （RECP） and LANL2DZ basis set. The possible geometrical configurations with their electronic states are determined, and the stability trend is investigated. Several low-lying isomers are determined, and many of them are in electronic configurations with a high-spin multiplicity. Our results indicate that the palladium-gold interaction is strong enough to modify the known pattern of bare palladium clusters, and the lower stability as the structures grow in size. The present calculations are useful to understanding the enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity gained by using gold-doped palladium catalyst.     

First-principles calculation of magnetism of icosahedral Fe clusters

Icosahedral iron clusters are synthesized and characterized in our group by using experimental methods.But the measurements of magnetic properties still face difficulties:the sizes of the clusters and the amount of product.Therefore theoretical methods are employed to study these issues.In this paper,icosahedral iron clusters containing 13,55,147,309 atoms are calculated by ab initio techniques.After the structural relaxation,the magnetism of the clusters is found to be similar to that of face centred cubic(FCC) iron with stronger ferromagnetism on the surface.But the central atom of each cluster is exceptional,which has a smaller magnetic moment.We also study the electronic structural properties in the clusters for a better explanation of the magnetism.It is suggested that in small clusters,the magnetic properties still depend on the local structural arrangement.     

Structures and electronic properties of Mo2nNn（n=1-5）:a density functional study

The lowest-energy structures and the electronic properties of Mo2nNn(n=1-5) clusters have been studied by using the density functional theory(DFT) simulating package DMol 3 in the generalized gradient approximation(GGA).The resulting equilibrium geometries show that the lowest-energy structures are dominated by central cores which correspond to the ground states of Mo n(n = 2,4,6,8,10) clusters and nitrogen atoms which surround these cores.The average binding energy,the adiabatic electron affinity(AEA),the vertical electron affinity(VEA),the adiabatic ionization potential(AIP) and the vertical ionization potential(VIP) of Mo2nNn(n=1-5) clusters have been estimated.The HOMO-LUMO gaps reveal that the clusters have strong chemical activities.An analysis of Mulliken charge distribution shows that charge-transfer moves from Mo atoms to N atoms and increases with cluster size.     

Total Routhian surface calculations of triaxial or γ-soft properties in even-A N = 76 isotones with 54≤Z≤68

Total Routhian surface(TRS) calculations for even–even N = 76 isotones with 54 Z 68 have been performed in three-dimensional(β2,γ,β4) deformation space. Calculated results of the equilibrium deformations are presented and compared with other theoretical predictions and available experimental data. The behavior of collective angular momentum shows the neutron rotation-alignment is preferred in the lighter N = 76 isotones, while for the heavier ones the proton alignment is favored. Moreover, multi-pair nucleon alignments and their competition(e.g.,in144Er) are predicted. It is pointed out that these nuclei in the N =76 isotonic chain exhibit triaxiality or γ softness in high-spin states as well as ground states. Based on deformation-energy curves with respect to axial and non-axial quadrupole deformations, the shape instabilities are evaluated in detail and predicted, particularly in γ direction.Such instabilities are also supported by the odd- and even-spin level staggering of the observed γ bands, which is usually used to distinguish between γ-rigid and γ-soft asymmetry.     

Ionization Potentials and Quantum Defects of ls^2np^2p Rydberg States of Lithium Atom

Abstract In this work, ionization potentials and quantum effects of ls^2 np^2 P Rydberg states of lithium are calculated based on the calibrated quantum defect function. Energy levels and quantum defects for ls^2np^2P bound states and their adjacent continuum states are calculated with the R-matrix theory, and then the quantum defect function of the ls^2np （n ≥ 7） channel is obtained, which varies smoothly with the energy based on the quantum defect theory. The accurate quantum defect of the ls^2 7p^2P state derived from the experimental data is used to calibrate the original quantum defect function. The new function is used to calculate ionization potentials and quantum effects of ls^2np ^2P （n ≥ 7） Rydberg states. Present calculations are in agreement with recent experimental data in whole.     

Density functional investigations for geometric and electronic properties of In4M and In12M （M = C,Si, In） clusters

First-principle calculations are performed to study geometric and electronic properties of both neutral and anionic In4M and In12M （M = C, Si, In） clusters. In4C and In4Si are found to be tetrahedral molecules. The icosahedral structure is found to be unfavourable for In12M. The most stable structure for In12C is a distorted buckled biplanar structure while for In12Si it is of an In-cage with the Si located in the centre. Charge effect on the structure of In12M is discussed. In4C has a significantly large binding energy and an energy gap between the highest-occupied molecularorbital level and the lowest unoccupied molecular-orbital level, a low electron affinity, and a high ionization potential, which are the characters of a magic cluster, enriching the family of doped-group-IIIA metal clusters for cluster-assembled materials.     

Structural and bonding properties of ScSi_n~-(n=2～6) clusters:photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations

Anion ion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) are used to investigate the electronic and structural properties of ScSi_n^- (n=2sim6) clusters and their neutrals. We find that the structures of ScSi_n^- are similar to those of Si_n+1^-. The most stable isomers of ScSi_n^- cluster anions and their neutrals are similar for n=2, 3 and 5 but different for n=4 and 6, indicating that the charge effect on geometry is size dependent for small scandium-silicon clusters. The low electron binding energy (EBE) tails observed in the spectra of ScSi_4,6^- can be explained by the existence of less stable isomers. A comparison between ScSi_n^- and VSi_n^- clusters shows the effects of metal size and electron configuration on cluster geometries.     

Hybrid density functional study on lattice vibration,thermodynamic properties,and chemical bonding of plutonium monocarbide

Hybrid density functional theory is employed to systematically investigate the structural,magnetic,vibrational,thermodynamic properties of plutonium monocarbide(Pu C and Pu C_(0.75)).For comparison,the results obtained by DFT,DFT + U are also given.For Pu C and Pu C_(0.75),Fock-0.25 hybrid functional gives the best lattice constants and predicts the correct ground states of antiferromagnetic(AFM) structure.The calculated phonon spectra suggest that Pu C and Pu C_(0.75) are dynamically stable.Values of the Helmholtz free energy ?F,internal energy ?E,entropy S,and constant-volume specific heat C_v of Pu C and Pu C_(0.75) are given.The results are in good agreement with available experimental or theoretical data.As for the chemical bonding nature,the difference charge densities,the partial densities of states and the Bader charge analysis suggest that the Pu–C bonds of Pu C and Pu C_(0.75) have a mixture of covalent character and ionic character.The effect of carbon vacancy on the chemical bonding is also discussed in detail.We expect that our study can provide some useful reference for further experimental research on the phonon density of states,thermodynamic properties of the plutonium monocarbide.     

Theoretical prediction of ion conductivity in solid state HfO2

A theoretical prediction of ion conductivity for solid state HfO2 is carried out in analogy to ZrO2 based on the density functional calculation. Geometric and electronic structures of pure bulks exhibit similarity for the two materials. Negative formation enthalpy and negative vacancy formation energy are found for YSH (yttria-stabilized hafnia) and YSZ (yttria- stabilized zirconia), suggesting the stability of both materials. Low activation energies (below 0.7 eV) of diffusion are found in both materials, and YSH’s is a little higher than that of YSZ. In addition, for both HfO2 and ZrO2 , the supercells with native oxygen vacancies are also studied. The so-called defect states are observed in the supercells with neutral and +1 charge native vacancy but not in the +2 charge one. It can give an explanation to the relatively lower activation energies of yttria-doped oxides and +2 charge vacancy supercells. A brief discussion is presented to explain the different YSH ion conductivities in the experiment and obtained by us, and we attribute this to the different ion vibrations at different temperatures.     

Probing structural and electronic properties of divalent metal Mgn+1 and SrMgn (n=2–12) clusters and their anions

Divalent metal clusters have received great attention due to the interesting size-induced nonmetal-to-metal transition and fascinating properties dependent on cluster size,shape,and doping.In this work,the combination of the CALYPSO code and density functional theory(DFT)optimization is employed to explore the structural properties of neutral and anionic Mg_n+1 and SrMgn(n=2-12)clusters.The results exhibit that as the atomic number of Mg increases,Sr atoms are more likely to replace Mg atoms located in the skeleton convex cap.By analyzing the binding energy,second-order energy difference and the charge transfer,it can be found the SrMg9 cluster with tower framework presents outstanding stability in a studied size range.Further,bonding characteristic analysis reveals that the stability of SrMg9 can be improved due to the strong s-p interaction among the atomic orbitals of Sr and Mg atoms.     

First principles investigation of protactinium-based oxide-perovskites for flexible opto electronic devices

The structural,elastic,mechanical,electronic,and optical properties of KPaO_3 and RbPaO_3 compounds are investigated from first-principles calculations by using the WIEN2 k code in the frame of local density approximation(LDA) and generalized gradient approximation(GGA).The calculated ground state quantities,such as lattice constant(α_0),ground state energy(E),bulk modulus(S),and their pressure derivative(B_p) are in reasonable agreement with the present analytical and previous theoretical results and available experimental data.Based on several elastic and mechanical parameters,the structural stability,hardness,stiffness and the brittle and ductile behaviors are discussed,which reveal that protactiniumbased oxide series of perovskites is mechanically stable and possesses weak resistance to shear deformation compared with resistance to unidirectional compression while flexible and covalent behaviors are dominated in them.The analysis of band profile through Trans-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson(TB-mBJ) potential highlights the underestimation of bandgap with traditional density functional theory(DFT) approximation.Specific contribution of electronic states is investigated by means of total and partial density of states and it can be evaluated that both compounds are(Γ-Γ) direct bandgap semiconductors.All fundamental optical properties are analyzed while attention is paid to absorption and reflection spectra to explore extensive absorptions and reflections of these compounds in high frequency regions.The present method represents an influential approach to calculating the whole set of elastic,mechanical,and opto-electronic parameters,which would conduce to the understanding of various physical phenomena and empower the device engineers to implement these materials in flexible opto-electronic applications.     

First-principle study of geometries, electronic structures and vibrational spectra of neutral and anionic onion-like [As@Ni12@As20］

We present results of first-principle study for both neutral and anionic onion-like [As@Ni₁₂@As₂₀］. The ground-states of singly-charged and doubly-charged anions deviate from ideal I_h symmetrical geometry because of Jahn--Teller effect, whereas the triply-charged singlet and neutral quartet have similar stable geometries of I_h symmetry. The infrared and Raman spectra may provide a way to determine various charge states of this molecule with the same symmetry. Based on our systematical calculations, we suggest additional experimental measurements in order to determine the appropriate functional with great confidence, which should be important in the research for future quantum dot devices.