Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of Cl vacancies in NaCl films: strong electron-phonon coupling in double-barrier tunneling junctions

Broad Gaussian line shapes are observed in scanning tunneling spectroscopy of single, localized electronic states induced by Cl vacancies in ultrathin NaCl films on Cu surfaces. Using a simple inelastic resonance tunneling model, we show that the observed broad line shapes are caused by a strong coupling between the localized state and the optical phonons in the film. The parameters for the model are obtained from density functional calculations, in which the occupation of the vacancy state temporarily taking place in the experiment has also been accounted for.     

Electronic structures of vacancies in Co_3Sn_2S_2

Co_3Sn_2S_2 has attracted a lot of attention for its multiple novel physical properties, including topological nontrivial surface states, anomalous Hall effect, and anomalous Nernst effect. Vacancies, which play important roles in functional materials, have attracted increasing research attention. In this paper, by using density functional theory calculations, we first obtain band structures and magnetic moments of Co_3Sn_2S_2 with exchange–correlation functionals at different levels. It is found that the generalized gradient approximation gives the positions of Weyl points consistent with experiments in bulk Co_3Sn_2S_2. We then investigate the electronic structures of defects on surfaces with S and Sn terminations which have been observed in experiments. The results show that the single sulfur vacancy on the S-terminated surface introduces localized bond states inside the bandgap near the Fermi level. For di-and tri-sulfur vacancies, the localized defect states hybridize with neighboring ones, forming bonding states as well as anti-bonding states. The Sn vacancy on the Sn-terminated surface also introduces localized bond states, which are merged with the valence bands. These results provide a reference for future experimental investigations of vacancies in Co_3Sn_2S_2.     

LiF中空位形成能的第一性原理计算

采用平面波展开和基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理赝势法,计算了102GPa下LiF化合物中Li空位和F空位的形成能及空间周围的原子弛豫,讨论了空位形成时电荷密度的重新分布,相应的电子态密度以及能带结构等性质.结果表明:LiF晶体中F空位的形成能比大于Li空位的形成能;F空位对LiF晶体的电子结构等性质的影响要比Li空位的大.     

LiF中空位形成能的第一性原理计算

采用平面波展开和基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理赝势法,计算了102GPa下LiF化合物中Li空位和F空位的形成能及空间周围的原子弛豫,讨论了空位形成时电荷密度的重新分布,相应的电子态密度以及能带结构等性质.结果表明:LiF晶体中F空位的形成能比大于Li空位的形成能;F空位对LiF晶体的电子结构等性质的影响要比Li空位的大.     

Theoretical study of the influence of vacancies on the electronic structure of a hexagonal boron nitride monolayer

The influence of boron and nitrogen vacancies and divacancies on the electronic structure of a hexagonal boron nitride h-BN monolayer is studied. In the presence of vacancies in the structure, the introduced states appear in the forbidden band. The position of an introduced state with respect to the upper occupied level and the lower vacant level depends on deformation. Calculations show that, depending on the defect type and the magnitude of the applied deformation, the introduced state can be both localized and not localized on atoms surrounding the defect. When the state is localized in the system, the inhomogeneous distribution of the spin density is observed, resulting in the appearance of the magnetic moment in the system.     

Effect of edge vacancies on localized states in a semi-infinite zigzag graphene sheet

The effect of vacancies on the robustness of zero-energy edge electronic states in zigzag-type graphene layer is studied at different concentrations and distributions of defects. All calculations are performed by using the Green’s function method and the tight-binding approximation. It is found that the arrangement of defects plays a crucial role in the destruction of the edge states. We have specified a critical distance between edge vacancies when their mutual influence becomes significant and affects markedly the density of electronic states at graphene edge.     

Calculation of the electronic structure of vacancies in GaSe by the green function

The electronic structure of local defects (vacancies) in GaSe is considered using the Green function theory in the basis of localized orbitals. The electronic states in the forbidden band, resonances, and antiresonances in a GaSe crystal with Ga and Se vacancies are discussed. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 8–12, November, 2006.     

Vacancies and the energy spectrum of refractory metal compounds: TiC and TiO

The influence of structural vacancies in metal and non-metal sublattices on the electronic structure of titanium carbide and oxide is studied by the nonempirical Hartree-Fock-Slater method in the cluster approximation. The main valence band changes for non-stoichiometric compounds are connected with the narrowing of bands due to subtraction of a number of electronic states and an increase of density of states near the Fermi level. Vacancy states appear to be localized in the unoccupied region of the energy spectrum; their admixture in the valence band is very small. The valency of metal atoms is shown to vary continuously in accordance with the stoichiometry ratio. The vacancy charge is very much smaller than the formal ionicity of the atom removed. It is shown that in defect compounds there is essentially no bonding charge connected with the vacancy center.The results obtained are compared with the data of previous calculations and physico-chemical properties.     

Vacancy induced zero energy modes in graphene stacks: The case of ABC trilayer

The zero energy modes induced by vacancies in ABC-stacked trilayer graphene are investigated. Depending on the position of the vacancy, a new zero energy solution is realised, different from those obtained in multilayer compounds with Bernal stacking. The electronic modification induced in the sample by the new vacancy states is characterised by computing the local density of states and their localisation properties are studied by the inverse participation ratio. We also analyse the situation in the presence of a gap in the spectrum due to a perpendicular electric field.     

Point defects on graphene on metals

Understanding the coupling of graphene with its local environment is critical to be able to integrate it in tomorrow's electronic devices. Here we show how the presence of a metallic substrate affects the properties of an atomically tailored graphene layer. We have deliberately introduced single carbon vacancies on a graphene monolayer grown on a Pt(111) surface and investigated its impact in the electronic, structural, and magnetic properties of the graphene layer. Our low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy studies, complemented by density functional theory, show the existence of a broad electronic resonance above the Fermi energy associated with the vacancies. Vacancy sites become reactive leading to an increase of the coupling between the graphene layer and the metal substrate at these points; this gives rise to a rapid decay of the localized state and the quenching of the magnetic moment associated with carbon vacancies in freestanding graphene layers.     

Electronic structure of substitutional defects and vacancies in GaSe

We have investigated the nature of defect states associated with substitutional impurities (Cd, In, Sn) and both Ga and Se vacancies in GaSe using ab initio electronic structure methods within density functional theory. These calculations were done using supercell model allowing for internal atomic relaxation. Binding energies (BEs) of defects obtained in this model are compared with effective mass approximation results. Significant central cell corrections are present for most of the defects. This is consistent with charge densities associated with the defect states that show clearly their strongly localized nature. Because of the difficulties associated with LDA/GGA in giving the correct band gap in semiconductors, we have only compared the acceptor BEs with available experiments. Our theoretical results agree well with the experiment for Cd_Ga and V_Ga. The fundamental role played by the Ga dimers in the formation of defect states is discussed.     

LiAl中空位形成能的第一原理计算

LiAl是一种非常典型和有重要用途的金属间化合物.采用平面波展开和第一原理赝势法，计算了LiAl化合物中Li空位和Al空位的形成能和空位周围的原子弛豫，讨论了空位形成时电荷密度的重新分布、相应的电子态密度以及能带结构等性质. 关键词： LiAl 空位形成能 第一原理计算     

Defect engineering on the electronic and transport properties of one-dimensional armchair phosphorene nanoribbons

We investigate the electronic and transport properties of one-dimensional armchair phosphorene nanoribbons(APNRs) containing atomic vacancies with different distributions and concentrations using ab initio density functional calculations. It is found that the atomic vacancies are easier to form and detain at the edge region rather than a random distribution through analyzing formation energy and diffusion barrier. The highly local defect states are generated at the vicinity of the Fermi level, and emerge a deep-to-shallow transformation as the width increases after introducing vacancies in APNRs.Moreover, the electrical transport of APNRs with vacancies is enhanced compared to that of the perfect counterparts. Our results provide a theoretical guidance for the further research and applications of PNRs through defect engineering.     

Vacancy cluster-limited electronic transport in metallic carbon nanotube

We investigate the electronic properties of metallic (7,7) carbon nanotubes (CNT) in the presence of a variety of tetra- and hexa-vacancy defects, by using the first principles density functional theory (DFT) combined with the non-equilibrium Green’s function technique. From the view point of energetic stability large vacancies tend to split into pentagon and heptagon (5-7) defects. However, this does not preclude the presence of “holes” in the carbon nanotube by the nanoelectronic lithography technique. We show that the states linked to large vacancies hybridize with the extended states of the nanotubes to modify their band structure. As a consequence, the hole-like defects in the CNT lead to more prominent electronic transport compared to the situation in the defective CNT consisting of pentagon-heptagon pair defects. Our study suggests the possibility to improve the electronic properties of a defective carbon nanotube via morphological modifications induced by irradiation techniques.     

空位对纤锌矿型AlN自发极化影响的最大局域化Wannier函数方法研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法,计算了纤锌矿型AlN中引入不同电荷态的N空位和Al空位时结构中最大局域化Wannier函数,并根据Wannier函数的空间分布及空间分布的几何中心位置,对空位引起的晶体电子结构变化及[0001],[ˉ1010],[ˉ12ˉ10]晶向上的自发极化进行了研究.结果表明,利用最大局域化Wannier函数分析电子结构具有直观的特点,清晰地表明N—Al键具有较强的离子性.研究发现,N空位结构中悬挂键上电荷向空位处转移,而Al空位结构中悬挂键上电荷则远离空位,沿悬挂键方向移动到N原子一侧.同时发现,空位的引入破坏了[ˉ1010],[ˉ12ˉ10]晶向上的中心对称结构,产生了极化,且极化强度随着空位电荷态的增加而增大.在[0001]晶向上,随着N空位电荷态的增加,空位周围电子结构发生了剧烈变化,使得自发极化发生了逆转,极化强度随着电荷态的增加而增大;而在Al空位中,随着电荷态的增加,自发极化沿原方向显著增加,但没有发生极化反转.     

Study on the electronic structures of the reduced anatase TiO2 by the first-principle calculation

Employing the first-principle calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) and the Molecule Orbital theory (MO), we have researched the electronic structures of the reduced anatase TiO₂ and its visible light photoactivity. The study is emphasized on the O vacancy, including the components of the defect states, the relationship with the bulk states and the way in which these electrons occupying the defect states are distributed in the real space. We find that the origin of the visible light photoactivity should be due to the transition of the excited electrons from the defect states σ_g orbital to the σ_u orbital in the upper conduction bands, rather than arising from the reduction of the band gap. The calculated results indicate that the localized defect states induced by the neutral and doubly ionized oxygen vacancies are all located in the band gap.     

Vacancies and B doping in Si nanocrystals

We examine the effect of vacancies on the doping of Si nanocrystals with B atoms. The electronic structure problem is solved in real space using pseudopotentials constructed within density functional theory. In the absence of vacancies, we find that it is energetically favorable for B dopants to be placed at or near the nanocrystal surface. However, in the presence of a vacancy, the B dopant can be stabilized within the nanocrystal as the vacancy effectively relieves the dopant induced stress.     

Analytic conditions for the existence of localized electron states in linear chains with two impurities

The negative eigenvalue theorem is used to obtain an analytic result for the integrated density of electron states in several types of low-dimensional lattices with two impurities in the tight binding approximation. From this expression, analytic conditions for the existence of localized electronic states are obtained. The result is directly applicable to the problem of surface states and that of chemisorption on a linear chain.The author would like to thank Prof. Dr. L.Valenta for suggesting the problem and for constant encouragement.     

Band structure of YBa2Cu3Ox in relation with the oxygen vacancy distribution

The electronic band structure and the density of states of the YBa₂Cu₃O_x superconductor are computed for x = 7 using the extended Hückel scheme. Two ordered arrangements of the oxygen vacancies in the basal Cu-O planes have been considered. It is shown that the oxygen vacancy distribution plays a major role in the electronic structure of this compound and deeply influences the density of states at the Fermi level.     

Electronic localization in disordered systems

A brief review is given of the current understanding of the electronic structure, transport properties and the nature of the electronic states in disordered systems. A simple explanation for the observed exponential behaviour in the density of states (Urbach tails) based on short-range Gaussian fluctuations is presented. The theory of Anderson localization in a disordered system is reviewed. Basic concepts, and the physics underlying the effects of weak localization, are discussed. The scaling as well as the self-consistent theory of localization are briefly reviewed. It is then argued that the problem of localization in a random potential within the so-called ladder approximation is formally equivalent to the problem of finding a bound state in a shallow potential well. Therefore all states are exponentially localized in d=1 and d=2. The fractal nature of the states is also discussed. Scaling properties in highly anisotropic systems are also discussed. A brief presentation of the recently observed metal-to-insulator transition in dequals;2 is given and, finally, a few remarks about interaction effects in disordered systems are presented.