Modeling the formation of alkali clusters attached to helium nanodroplets and the abundance of high-spin states

The doping process of helium nanodroplets with alkali atoms has been modeled in order to study deviations from the Poissonian statistics of measured pick-up statistics which are important for assigning cluster or complex sizes in many experimental studies. Several, formally unexplained findings are reproduced and their origin has been analyzed: derivations from the expected functional form of the initial incline, the suppression of the formation of lithium clusters, the influence of the functional form and width of droplet size distributions. Furthermore, the controversially discussed formation of high-spin alkali clusters on helium droplets has been calculated within the model. The selection of high-spin states comes out to depend strongly on the experimental conditions, and is in general not pronounced for cluster sizes ≥ 3. The enhancement factor of 50 of high-spin states reported in earlier experiments is reproduced when choosing the conditions of these experiments.     

Heteronuclear and homonuclear high-spin alkali trimers on helium nanodroplets

The electronic excitation spectra of all possible homo- and heteronuclear high-spin (quartet) trimers of K and Rb (KxRb(3-x), x=0...3) assembled on the surface of superfluid helium droplets, are measured in the spectral range from 10,600 to 17,400 cm(-1). A regular series of corresponding bands is observed, reflecting the similar electronic structure of all these trimers. For the assignment and separation of overlapping bands, we determine x directly, with mass-selected beam depletion, and indirectly with a V-type double-resonance scheme. The assignment is confirmed by high-level ab initio calculations of the electronic structure of the bare trimers. The level structure is rationalized in terms of harmonic-oscillator states of the three valence electrons in a quantum-dot-like confining potential. We predict that three should be a magic number for high-spin alkali clusters.     

Entangling Two Multi-atomic Clusters Through a Cavity Field

Two atomic clusters, which have NA and Ns two-level atoms, respectively, are placed in a cavity but separated spatially. There is no direct interaction between the atoms. All the atoms interact with a single-mode of the cavity field. Quantum entanglement between the two atomic clusters is investigated for various initial states of the two atomic clusters and the field. When the cavity field is initially in a Fock state, we find that the time evolution of entanglement quasi-periodically oscillates regardless of the initial states of atoms. The oscillation period increases as the initial photon number increases. When all the atoms in both of the atomic clusters are initially in the excited state, we show that there is no entanglement between the atomic clusters with NA = NB = 1 regardless the initial state of the cavity field. However, when either NA or NB is larger than one, we find that the entanglement always exists even for a strong thermal field. In cases with different initial states of the atomic clusters, we notice that the entanglement becomes stronger as number of the atoms increases. When all the atoms in both of the clusters in the ground state, we also find that the entanglement can be enhanced even by a thermal field. We also notice that a single qubit can be entangled with multi-atoms which are initially in the ground state by the cavity field initially being in vacuum, thermal, coherent, and squeezed states.     

Structure of endohedral complexes of carbon nanotubes encapsulated with lithium and sodium

The article provides the results of ab initio calculations employing density functional theory of carbon nanotubes that contain clusters of lithium and sodium atoms. Stable positions of interstitial atoms, the electron density distribution in the system and the density of electronic states are determined. It is shown that the amount of charge transferred from the interstitial atoms in a cluster significantly differs from the corresponding value for a single atom. It is established that the density of electronic states of the system at low concentrations of atoms of the introduced element is determined by the electronic structure of a hollow nanotube, and as the concentration of interstitial atoms increases, this quantity becomes virtually independent on the type of alkali metal (lithium or sodium) and the initial type of the nanotube conductivity.     

Stability of two-component alkali clusters formed on helium nanodroplets

The stability of two-component clusters consisting of light (Na or K) and heavy (Rb or Cs) alkali atoms formed on helium nanodroplets is studied by femtosecond laser ionization in combination with mass spectrometry. Characteristic stability patterns reflecting electron shell-closures are observed in dependence of the total number of atoms contained in the mixed clusters. Faster decay of the stability of mixed clusters compared to the pure light ones as a function of size indicates a destabilizing effect of heavy alkali atoms on light alkali clusters, presumably due to second order spin-orbit interaction.     

Pd对Ti合金钝化影响的电子理论研究

采用递归法计算了Ti合金的电子态密度、环境敏感镶嵌能、费米能级等电子结构参量.计算发现Pd在晶体体内比在其表面的环境敏感镶嵌能高,说明Pd易于在 Ti合金表面偏聚.Pd在表面时,原子团簇形成能为负值,说明Pd以团簇形式分布于合金表面.态密度计算结果表明,Pd的局域态密度局限在很窄的能量范围内(-20—-15 eV),使Ti合金的总态密度在此区出现尖峰.该尖峰的存在降低了Ti合金的费米能级,于是表面含Pd较多的区域费米能级较低,含Pd少或不含Pd的区域费米能级较高.费米能级不同的两区域接触会形成微电池,在腐 关键词： Ti合金 钝化 电子结构 表面     

The structure and energetics of carbon-nitrogen clusters

The structures and energies of clusters of carbon and nitrogen with up to 12 atoms have been investigated by density functional theory using the hybrid B3LYP functional and the cc-pVTZ basis set. This is the first systematic study of these clusters. Geometries are reported for the lowest energy states at this level of theory. Linear structures tend to be the global minima for clusters containing one or two nitrogen atoms, and patterns in the electronic structure of these clusters are reported. More complex branched structures lie close in energy to the linear conformations and, for clusters greater than six atoms and containing three or more nitrogen atoms, these branched structures are the minimum energy conformers. Comparisons are made with pure carbon and silicon-carbon clusters.     

Shape dependence of optical properties of sodium clusters

We develop an analytical approach to calculate the aspect ratios of free alkali metal clusters using measured surface plasmon frequencies. The method is based on the concept of small deviations from a spherical shape and can be applied to clusters with spheroidal, icosahedral and other shapes. Results of experimental data as well as of numerical calculations for the surface plasmon resonance frequencies in small spheroidal sodium clusters containing less than 50 atoms are reproduced accurately through a quite simple formula which links the aspect ratio of the cluster to the observable surface plasmon frequencies. The developed approach allows also to reveal the dependence of the dielectric function of alkali metal on the number of atoms in the cluster.     

碱金属原子多极极化率的解析计算及其应用

通过考虑碱金属原子中的价电子在模型势中的运动, 给出了碱金属原子激发态(包括分立谱和连续谱)的波函数, 导出了碱金属原子的多极动态极化率的计算式中所涉及的矩阵元的解析表达式, 实现了碱金属原子多极动态极化率的解析计算. 作为应用, 利用范德瓦尔斯相互作用系数与动态极化率之间的积分关系, 计算了异核基态碱金属原子间的三体相互作用系数, 将计算结果与此前用稳定变分方法得到的结果进行了比较, 结果显示两者是一致的. 此工作为后续研究激发态碱金属原子间的相互作用奠定了基础.     

Rh_nBe(n=1～7)团簇结构和磁性的密度泛函研究

用密度泛函理论中的广义梯度近似方法研究了Rh_nBe(n=1～7)团簇的结构和磁性.结果表明:在Rh_n团簇上附加一个Be原子后,对Rh_n团簇的结构影响不大,与Be原子相配位的Rh原子间的键长发生了不同程度的增大.Rh_nBe与Rh_n团簇的稳定性变化趋势相一致,但Rh_nBe团簇更加稳定.Be原子均失去电子,磁矩相对较小.与Be原子相配位的Rh原子均是电子受体.团簇磁矩主要来自Rh原子的贡献;若Be原子呈正磁矩,则Rh_nBe团簇的总磁矩大于Rh_n团簇的磁矩,反之则小于Rh_n团簇的磁矩.     

Origin of ferromagnetism via hole doping in SnO2: First-principles calculation

First-principles calculations are carried out in order to find the ferromagnetism dependence on the number of holes substituted for Sn sites. The results show that strong localization of defect states of the p bands of the oxygen atoms near the dopants favors high-spin states and local moment formation. These states appear to be ferromagnetically coupled with a rather long-range magnetic interaction, resulting in a half-metallic ferromagnetic ground state for the whole systems. Analysis of the total energies indicates that the induced well-confined ferromagnetism in the oxygen p orbitals due to hole doping is quite possible and easily controlled in these systems, which indicate a new way to develop a half-metallic ferromagnet in nonmagnetic d⁰ oxides.     

RhnBe(n=1-7)团簇结构和磁性的密度泛函研究

用密度泛函理论中的广义梯度近似方法研究了RhnBe(n=1~7)团簇的结构和磁性。结果表明：在Rhn团簇上附加一个Be原子后,对Rhn团簇的结构影响不大,与Be原子相配位的Rh原子间的键长发生了不同程度的增大。RhnBe 与Rhn团簇的稳定性变化趋势相一致,但RhnBe团簇更加稳定。Be原子均失去电子,磁矩相对较小。与Be原子相配位的Rh原子均是电子受体。团簇磁矩主要来自Rh原子的贡献;若Be原子呈正磁矩,则RhnBe团簇的总磁矩大于Rhn团簇的磁矩,反之则小于Rhn团簇的磁矩。     

Templating of arrays of Ru nanoclusters by monolayer graphene/Ru Moirés with different periodicities

We have studied the formation of Ru nanocluster arrays on several monolayer graphene/Ru Moiré structures with different relative orientations of the graphene and Ru lattices. Experiments and ab initio calculations clearly show that the presence of a graphene/Ru Moiré does not guarantee the ordered adsorption of Ru nanoclusters. The simultaneous deposition of Ru onto coexisting Moirés demonstrates that a structure with aligned graphene and Ru lattices templates the formation of arrays of small Ru clusters with narrow size spread and adsorption exclusively in a single site (the 'low fcc' site). The other Moirés considered here gave rise to substantially larger clusters with broader size distribution and without detectable site selectivity. Calculations explain these findings via the density of states (DOS) at different sites of the graphene/Ru Moiré. The ordered nucleation of many small clusters instead of incorporation of metal atoms into larger ones requires one Moiré site with a large DOS at the Fermi level, so that the binding of metal adatoms to this site is stronger than to competing sites in the Moiré and to existing metal clusters.     

Role of embedded clustering in dilute magnetic semiconductors: Cr doped GaN

Results of extensive density-functional studies provide direct evidence that Cr atoms in Cr:GaN have a strong tendency to form embedded clusters, occupying Ga sites. Significantly, for larger than 2-Cr-atom clusters, states containing antiferromagnetic coupling with net spin in the range 0.06-1.47 muB/Cr are favored. We propose a picture where various configurations coexist and the statistical distribution and associated magnetism will depend sensitively on the growth details. Such a view may elucidate many puzzling observations related to the structural and magnetic properties of III-N and other dilute semiconductors.     

The Electronic and Magnetic Properties of FCC Iron Clusters in FCC 4D Metals

The electronic and magnetic structures of small FCC iron clusters in FCC Rh, Pd and Ag were calculated using the discrete variational method as a function of cluster size and lattice relaxation. It was found that unrelaxed iron clusters, remain ferromagnetic as the cluster sizes increase, while for relaxed clusters antiferromagnetism develops as the size increases depending on the host metal. For iron in Rh the magnetic structure changes from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic for clusters as small as 13 Fe atoms, whereas for Fe in Ag antiferromagnetism is exhibited for clusters of 24 Fe atoms. On the hand, for Fe in Pd the transition from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism occurs for clusters as large as 42 Fe atoms. The difference in the magnetic trends of these Fe clusters is related to the electronic properties of the underlying metallic matrix. The local d densities of states, the magnetic moments and hyperfine parameters are calculated in the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic regions. In addition, the average local moment in iron-palladium alloys is calculated and compared to experimental results.     

Photoelectron spectral intensities of some first transition series elements in metal cyanides containing inequivalent atoms

Photoelectron spectral intensities of some first transition series elements were studied for metal cyanides containing inequivalent atoms. The spectra of low-spin ions coordinated via carbon to the cyanide ion, and of high-spin ions coordinated through nitrogen were separately obtained from manganese, iron, and cobalt cyanides. Metal 2p spectra obtained as sums of the appropriate spectra of low- and high-spin ions were nearly coincident with the spectra of the compounds containing inequivalent atoms. These results show that the intensity of the 2p electron for each atom must include the main peak and perhaps multiplet splitting effects, shake-up effects, and the inelastic scattering tail, and verify the non-interaction nature of the inequivalent atoms in these compounds.     

Defect studies in small CdTe clusters

We study Cd vacancy formation in prototype stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric CdTe clusters with and without passivation. For certain clusters like Cd₁₃Te₁₆, vacancy leads to severe distortion of the geometry due to propagation of defect. Annealing of the vacancy out of the cluster is observed in all unpassivated clusters. Passivated clusters retain their initial geometry and vacancy induced structural distortions are not seen in these clusters since the defect gets localized. Vacancy also induces intragap states. However, it was observed that the passivation of the dangling bonds created by the vacancy removes the intragap states. In an attempt to have CdTe clusters with extrinsic carriers, we substituted a Cd atom by its adjacent atoms Pd/Ag/In/Sn in these CdTe clusters. Substitutional doping of Cd by metal atoms increases the stability of unpassivated clusters. For certain clusters, metal atom doping leads to a half-metallic character. Pd/Ag-doped clusters are p-type semiconductors whereas In-doped clusters are n-type semiconductors. Sn doping in these clusters does not result in n-type semiconductors.     

Charge radii and quadrupole-deformation parameters of high-spin isomers

Experimental data on the differences of charge radii of nuclei in the ground and high-spin isomeric states are surveyed. High-resolution laser-spectroscopy methods were used for measurements. The results obtained for the differences of these radii by two methods—from measurements of isomeric shifts of the levels of atoms containing the nuclei being studied and from measurements of their quadrupole moments in both states under the assumption that the differences of the radii are determined by the difference in their quadrupole deformations—were compared. Two-particle isomers in odd—odd nuclei, isomers formed upon the break of one or several nucleon pairs, and isomers featuring the 1i _13/2 configuration of the odd neutron in mercury nuclei were considered. The observed distinctions between the aforementioned differences of charged radii are discussed for isomeric states of different nature.     

Aln(n=2～7)团簇的结构和能级分布

采用密度泛函B3LYP的方法研究了小原子团簇Al2～7的几何结构和能级分布,分析了随团簇原子数的增加,团簇的几何结构和费米能级的变化情况.研究结果表明:Al2～7的团簇的几何结构在5个原子以前为平面结构,而从六个原子开始为空间立体的稳定结构.电子壳层结构表明,在铝团簇中没有出现非常明显的象碱金属那样的稳定幻数结构.在Al2～Al7团簇中,能级结构呈现明显的分立特征,费米能级随着原子个数的增加而减小,到Al7时又有所增加,且团簇的能量间隙最小.     

On the decay of hot metallic clusters by evaporation

Starting from the Weisskopf theory decay rates for the evaporation of cluster atoms from hot liquid alkali metal clusters are derived. The crucial input quantity is the level density which is determined from empirical properties of the bulk, namely from the specific heat and the thermal expansion coefficient. The resulting rate expression is compared with decay rate formulas given by Engelking, Klots and Gspann. Furthermore, critical (appearance) sizes of multiply charged clusters are calculated by equating the rates for neutral monomer and light charged particle emission. Also shrinking and cooling rates of large hot clusters are determined by treating multiple emission of cluster atoms, thus establishing a time scale for the decay of clusters theoretically.