X-ray electron density investigation of chemical bonding in van der Waals materials

Science.gov (United States)

Kasai, Hidetaka; Tolborg, Kasper; Sist, Mattia; Zhang, Jiawei; Hathwar, Venkatesha R.; Filsø, Mette Ø.; Cenedese, Simone; Sugimoto, Kunihisa; Overgaard, Jacob; Nishibori, Eiji; Iversen, Bo B.

2018-03-01

Van der Waals (vdW) solids have attracted great attention ever since the discovery of graphene, with the essential feature being the weak chemical bonding across the vdW gap. The nature of these weak interactions is decisive for many extraordinary properties, but it is a strong challenge for current theory to accurately model long-range electron correlations. Here we use synchrotron X-ray diffraction data to precisely determine the electron density in the archetypal vdW solid, TiS2, and compare the results with density functional theory calculations. Quantitative agreement is observed for the chemical bonding description in the covalent TiS2 slabs, but significant differences are identified for the interactions across the gap, with experiment revealing more electron deformation than theory. The present data provide an experimental benchmark for testing theoretical models of weak chemical bonding.

On the accuracy of van der Waals inclusive density-functional theory exchange-correlation functionals for ice at ambient and high pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Santra, Biswajit; Klimes, Jirí; Tkatchenko, Alexandre; Alfè, Dario; Slater, Ben; Michaelides, Angelos; Car, Roberto; Scheffler, Matthias

2013-10-21

Density-functional theory (DFT) has been widely used to study water and ice for at least 20 years. However, the reliability of different DFT exchange-correlation (xc) functionals for water remains a matter of considerable debate. This is particularly true in light of the recent development of DFT based methods that account for van der Waals (vdW) dispersion forces. Here, we report a detailed study with several xc functionals (semi-local, hybrid, and vdW inclusive approaches) on ice Ih and six proton ordered phases of ice. Consistent with our previous study [B. Santra, J. Klimeš, D. Alfè, A. Tkatchenko, B. Slater, A. Michaelides, R. Car, and M. Scheffler, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 185701 (2011)] which showed that vdW forces become increasingly important at high pressures, we find here that all vdW inclusive methods considered improve the relative energies and transition pressures of the high-pressure ice phases compared to those obtained with semi-local or hybrid xc functionals. However, we also find that significant discrepancies between experiment and the vdW inclusive approaches remain in the cohesive properties of the various phases, causing certain phases to be absent from the phase diagram. Therefore, room for improvement in the description of water at ambient and high pressures remains and we suggest that because of the stern test the high pressure ice phases pose they should be used in future benchmark studies of simulation methods for water.

Ab initio van der waals interactions in simulations of water alter structure from mainly tetrahedral to high-density-like

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møgelhøj, Andreas; Kelkkanen, Kari André; Wikfeldt, K Thor

2011-01-01

The structure of liquid water at ambient conditions is studied in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in the NVE ensemble using van der Waals (vdW) density-functional theory, i.e., using the new exchange-correlation functionals optPBE-vdW and vdW-DF2, where the latter has softer nonlocal...... protocol could cause the deviation. An O-O PCF consisting of a linear combination of 70% from vdW-DF2 and 30% from low-density liquid water, as extrapolated from experiments, reproduces near-quantitatively the experimental O-O PCF for ambient water. This suggests the possibility that the new functionals...... shows some resemblance with experiment for high-density water ( Soper , A. K. and Ricci , M. A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2000 , 84 , 2881 ), but not directly with experiment for ambient water. Considering the accuracy of the new functionals for interaction energies, we investigate whether the simulation...

Combinations of coupled cluster, density functionals, and the random phase approximation for describing static and dynamic correlation, and van der Waals interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Garza, Alejandro J.; Bulik, Ireneusz W.; Alencar, Ana G. Sousa; Sun, Jianwei; Perdew, John P.; Scuseria, Gustavo E.

2016-04-01

Contrary to standard coupled cluster doubles (CCD) and Brueckner doubles (BD), singlet-paired analogues of CCD and BD (denoted here as CCD0 and BD0) do not break down when static correlation is present, but neglect substantial amounts of dynamic correlation. In fact, CCD0 and BD0 do not account for any contributions from multielectron excitations involving only same-spin electrons at all. We exploit this feature to add - without introducing double counting, self-interaction, or increase in cost - the missing correlation to these methods via meta-GGA (generalised gradient approximation) density functionals (Tao-Perdew-Staroverov-Scuseria and strongly constrained and appropriately normed). Furthermore, we improve upon these CCD0+DFT blends by invoking range separation: the short- and long-range correlations absent in CCD0/BD0 are evaluated with density functional theory and the direct random phase approximation, respectively. This corrects the description of long-range van der Waals forces. Comprehensive benchmarking shows that the combinations presented here are very accurate for weakly correlated systems, while also providing a reasonable description of strongly correlated problems without resorting to symmetry breaking.

Density functional theory of polydisperse fluid interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baus, M.; Bellier-Castella, L.; Xu, H.

2002-01-01

Most colloids usually exhibit one or several polydispersities. A natural framework for the theoretical description of polydisperse systems is provided by the extension of density functional theory to 'continuous' mixtures. This will be illustrated here by the study of both the bulk and interfacial properties of a simple van der Waals model for a polydisperse colloidal fluid. (author)

Nature and strength of bonding in a crystal of semiconducting nanotubes: van der Waals density functional calculations and analytical results

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kleis, Jesper; Schröder, Elsebeth; Hyldgaard, Per

2008-01-01

calculations, the vdW-DF study predicts an intertube vdW bonding with a strength that is consistent with recent observations for the interlayer binding in graphitics. It also produces a nanotube wall-to-wall separation, which is in very good agreement with experiments. Moreover, we find that the vdW-DF result...... for the nanotube-crystal binding energy can be approximated by a sum of nanotube-pair interactions when these are calculated in vdW-DR This observation suggests a framework for an efficient implementation of quantum-physical modeling of the carbon nanotube bundling in more general nanotube bundles, including......The dispersive interaction between nanotubes is investigated through ab initio theory calculations and in an analytical approximation. A van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) [M. Dion et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 246401 (2004)] is used to determine and compare the binding of a pair of nanotubes...

Effect of van der Waals interactions on the structural and binding properties of GaSe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkisov, Sergey Y., E-mail: sarkisov@mail.tsu.ru [Tomsk State University, Lenin Avenue 36, 634050 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Kosobutsky, Alexey V., E-mail: kosobutsky@kemsu.ru [Tomsk State University, Lenin Avenue 36, 634050 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Kemerovo State University, Krasnaya 6, 650043 Kemerovo (Russian Federation); Shandakov, Sergey D. [Kemerovo State University, Krasnaya 6, 650043 Kemerovo (Russian Federation)

2015-12-15

The influence of van der Waals interactions on the lattice parameters, band structure, elastic moduli and binding energy of layered GaSe compound has been studied using projector-augmented wave method within density functional theory. We employed the conventional local/semilocal exchange-correlation functionals and recently developed van der Waals functionals which are able to describe dispersion forces. It is found that application of van der Waals density functionals allows to substantially increase the accuracy of calculations of the lattice constants a and c and interlayer distance in GaSe at ambient conditions and under hydrostatic pressure. The pressure dependences of the a-parameter, Ga–Ga, Ga–Se bond lengths and Ga–Ga–Se bond angle are characterized by a relatively low curvature, while c(p) has a distinct downward bowing due to nonlinear shrinking of the interlayer spacing. From the calculated binding energy curves we deduce the interlayer binding energy of GaSe, which is found to be in the range 0.172–0.197 eV/layer (14.2–16.2 meV/Å{sup 2}). - Highlights: • Effects of van der Waals interactions are analyzed using advanced density functionals. • Calculations with vdW-corrected functionals closely agree with experiment. • Interlayer binding energy of GaSe is estimated to be 14.2–16.2 meV/Å{sup 2}.

First-principles study of van der Waals interactions in MoS2 and MoO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peelaers, H; Van de Walle, C G

2014-01-01

Van der Waals interactions play an important role in layered materials such as MoS 2 and MoO 3 . Within density functional theory, several methods have been developed to explicitly include van der Waals interactions. We compare the performance of several of these functionals in describing the structural and electronic properties of MoS 2 and MoO 3 . We include functionals based on the local density or generalized gradient approximations, but also based on hybrid functionals. The coupling of the semiempirical Grimme D2 method with the hybrid functional HSE06 is shown to lead to a very good description of both structural and electronic properties. (paper)

Structural evolution of amino acid crystals under stress from a non-empirical density functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabatini, Riccardo; Küçükbenli, Emine; De Gironcoli, Stefano; Kolb, Brian; Thonhauser, T

2012-01-01

Use of the non-local correlation functional vdW-DF (from ‘van der Waals density functional’; Dion M et al 2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 246401) has become a popular approach for including van der Waals interactions within density functional theory. In this work, we extend the vdW-DF theory and derive the corresponding stress tensor in a fashion similar to the LDA and GGA approach, which allows for a straightforward implementation in any electronic structure code. We then apply our methodology to investigate the structural evolution of amino acid crystals of glycine and l-alanine under pressure up to 10 GPa - with and without van der Waals interactions - and find that for an accurate description of intermolecular interactions and phase transitions in these systems, the inclusion of van der Waals interactions is crucial. For glycine, calculations including the vdW-DF (vdW-DF-c09x) functional are found to systematically overestimate (underestimate) the crystal lattice parameters, yet the stability ordering of the different polymorphs is determined accurately, at variance with the GGA case. In the case of l-alanine, our vdW-DF results agree with recent experiments that question the phase transition reported for this crystal at 2.3 GPa, as the a and c cell parameters happen to become equal but no phase transition is observed.

Silicene on MoS2: role of the van der Waals interaction

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Jiajie; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2015-01-01

We demonstrate for silicene on MoS2 substrate the limitations of the predictive power of first principles calculations based on van der Waals density functional theory. Only the optB86b-vdW functional is found to give reasonable agreement

Cosmological models described by a mixture of van der Waals fluid and dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kremer, G.M.

2003-01-01

The Universe is modeled as a binary mixture whose constituents are described by a van der Waals fluid and by a dark energy density. The dark energy density is considered either as quintessence or as the Chaplygin gas. The irreversible processes concerning the energy transfer between the van der Waals fluid and the gravitational field are taken into account. This model can simulate (a) an inflationary period where the acceleration grows exponentially and the van der Waals fluid behaves like an inflaton, (b) an accelerated period where the acceleration is positive but it decreases and tends to zero whereas the energy density of the van der Waals fluid decays, (c) a decelerated period which corresponds to a matter dominated period with a non-negative pressure, and (d) a present accelerated period where the dark energy density outweighs the energy density of the van der Waals fluid

Use of Two-Body Correlated Basis Functions with van der Waals Interaction to Study the Shape-Independent Approximation for a Large Number of Trapped Interacting Bosons

Science.gov (United States)

Lekala, M. L.; Chakrabarti, B.; Das, T. K.; Rampho, G. J.; Sofianos, S. A.; Adam, R. M.; Haldar, S. K.

2017-05-01

We study the ground-state and the low-lying excitations of a trapped Bose gas in an isotropic harmonic potential for very small (˜ 3) to very large (˜ 10^7) particle numbers. We use the two-body correlated basis functions and the shape-dependent van der Waals interaction in our many-body calculations. We present an exhaustive study of the effect of inter-atomic correlations and the accuracy of the mean-field equations considering a wide range of particle numbers. We calculate the ground-state energy and the one-body density for different values of the van der Waals parameter C6. We compare our results with those of the modified Gross-Pitaevskii results, the correlated Hartree hypernetted-chain equations (which also utilize the two-body correlated basis functions), as well as of the diffusion Monte Carlo for hard sphere interactions. We observe the effect of the attractive tail of the van der Waals potential in the calculations of the one-body density over the truly repulsive zero-range potential as used in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation and discuss the finite-size effects. We also present the low-lying collective excitations which are well described by a hydrodynamic model in the large particle limit.

The X3LYP extended density functional for accurate descriptions of nonbond interactions, spin states, and thermochemical properties

OpenAIRE

Xu, Xin; Goddard, William A., III

2004-01-01

We derive the form for an exact exchange energy density for a density decaying with Gaussian-like behavior at long range. Based on this, we develop the X3LYP (extended hybrid functional combined with Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional) extended functional for density functional theory to significantly improve the accuracy for hydrogen-bonded and van der Waals complexes while also improving the accuracy in heats of formation, ionization potentials, electron affinities, and total atomic energ...

Van der Waals coefficients for alkali metal clusters and their size

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper we employ the hydrodynamic formulation of time-dependent density functional theory to obtain the van der Waals coefficients 6 and 8 of alkali metal clusters of various sizes including very large clusters. Such calculations become computationally very demanding in the orbital-based Kohn-Sham formalism, ...

Effect of van der Waals interaction on the properties of SnS2 layered semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seminovski, Y.; Palacios, P.; Wahnón, P.

2013-01-01

Nowadays, dispersion correction applied on layered semiconductors is a topic of interest. Among the known layered semiconductors, SnS 2 polytypes are wide gap semiconductors with a van der Waals interaction between their layers, which could form good materials to be used in photovoltaic applications. The present work gives an approach to the SnS 2 geometrical and electronic characterization using an empirical dispersion correction added to the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof functional and subsequent actualization of the electronic charge density using the screened hybrid Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof functional using a density functional code. The obtained interlayer distance and band-gap are in good agreement with experimental values when van der Waals dispersion forces are included. - Highlights: ► Tin disulphide (SnS 2 ) has been calculated using density functional theory methods. ► A dispersion correction was also applied for two different SnS 2 polytypes. ► Geometrical parameters and band-gaps were obtained using both approaches. ► Our calculations give a good agreement of the computed band gap with experiment

Strain engineering of van der Waals heterostructures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeulen, Paul A.; Mulder, Jefta; Momand, Jamo; Kooi, Bart J.

2018-01-01

Modifying the strain state of solids allows control over a plethora of functional properties. The weak interlayer bonding in van der Waals (vdWaals) materials such as graphene, hBN, MoS2, and Bi2Te3 might seem to exclude strain engineering, since strain would immediately relax at the vdWaals

Effect of van der Waals interaction on the properties of SnS{sub 2} layered semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seminovski, Y. [Instituto de Energía Solar, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Dpt. TEAT, ETSI Telecomunicacion, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Palacios, P., E-mail: pablo.palacios@upm.es [Instituto de Energía Solar, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Dpt. FyQATA, EIAE, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pz. Cardenal Cisneros, 3, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Wahnón, P. [Instituto de Energía Solar, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Dpt. TEAT, ETSI Telecomunicacion, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2013-05-01

Nowadays, dispersion correction applied on layered semiconductors is a topic of interest. Among the known layered semiconductors, SnS{sub 2} polytypes are wide gap semiconductors with a van der Waals interaction between their layers, which could form good materials to be used in photovoltaic applications. The present work gives an approach to the SnS{sub 2} geometrical and electronic characterization using an empirical dispersion correction added to the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof functional and subsequent actualization of the electronic charge density using the screened hybrid Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof functional using a density functional code. The obtained interlayer distance and band-gap are in good agreement with experimental values when van der Waals dispersion forces are included. - Highlights: ► Tin disulphide (SnS{sub 2}) has been calculated using density functional theory methods. ► A dispersion correction was also applied for two different SnS{sub 2} polytypes. ► Geometrical parameters and band-gaps were obtained using both approaches. ► Our calculations give a good agreement of the computed band gap with experiment.

Density functional theory study of inter-layer coupling in bulk tin selenide

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Hong-Yue; Lü, Jing-Tao

2018-03-01

We study the inter-layer coupling in bulk tin selenide (SnSe) through density functional theory based calculations. Different approximations for the exchange-correlation functionals and the van der Waals interaction are employed. By performing comparison with graphite, MoS2 and black phosphorus, we analyze the inter-layer coupling from different points of view, including the binding energy, the low frequency inter-layer optical phonons, and the inter-layer charge transfer. We find that, there is a strong charge transfer between layers of SnSe, resulting in the strongest inter-layer coupling. Moreover, the charge transfer renders the inter-layer coupling in SnSe not of van der Waals type. Mechanical exfoliation has been used to fabricate mono- or few-layer graphene, MoS2 and black phosphorus. But, our results show that it may be difficult to apply similar technique to SnSe.

An extended hybrid density functional (X3LYP) with improved descriptions of nonbond interactions and thermodynamic properties of molecular systems

OpenAIRE

Xu, Xin; Zhang, Qingsong; Muller, Richard P.; Goddard, William A., III

2005-01-01

We derive here the form for the exact exchange energy density for a density that decays with Gaussian-type behavior at long range. This functional is intermediate between the B88 and the PW91 exchange functionals. Using this modified functional to match the form expected for Gaussian densities, we propose the X3LYP extended functional. We find that X3LYP significantly outperforms Becke three parameter Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP) for describing van der Waals and hydrogen bond interactions, while per...

Capillary condensation in pores with rough walls: a density functional approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryk, P; Rzysko, W; Malijevsky, Al; Sokołowski, S

2007-09-01

The effect of surface roughness of slit-like pore walls on the capillary condensation of a spherical particles and short chains is studied. The gas molecules interact with the substrate by a Lennard-Jones (9,3) potential. The rough layer at each pore wall has a variable thickness and density and consists of a disordered quenched matrix of spherical particles. The system is described in the framework of a density functional approach and using computer simulations. The contribution due to attractive van der Waals interactions between adsorbate molecules is described by using first-order mean spherical approximation and mean-field approximation.

Contribution of van der Waals forces to the plasticity of magnesium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Zhigang; Liu, Wei; Li, Shuang; Zhang, Dalong; Zhao, Yonghao; Lavernia, Enrique J.; Zhu, Yuntian

2016-01-01

The accurate determination of stacking fault energies (SFE) and associated restoring forces is important for understanding plastic deformation, especially the dislocation emission and motion in metals. In this work, we use density-functional theory (DFT) calculations to, systematically study the all-dimension relaxed atomic models of Mg crystal slip, with a special focus on the “subslip modes” in prismatic and pyramidal slip systems. We find that slip systems with large interplanar distances are readily activated, which agrees well with experimental observations. Inclusion of the ubiquitous van der Waals (vdW) interactions results in lower generalized stacking fault energy curves. Remarkably, the unstable SFE value of pyramidal-II system is strongly reduced by up to 69 mJ/m 2 , and the related restoring stress is lowered by 0.74 GPa after taking into account the vdW energy. Our calculations indicate significant effect of vdW forces on the plasticity of Mg. - Graphical abstract: By using density-functional theory calculations, we systematically study the generalized stacking fault energy for pure Mg, and demonstrated pronounced contributions of van der Waals forces to the plasticity of Mg.

Modeling of nanoscale liquid mixture transport by density functional hydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Dinariev, Oleg Yu.; Evseev, Nikolay V.

2017-06-01

Modeling of multiphase compositional hydrodynamics at nanoscale is performed by means of density functional hydrodynamics (DFH). DFH is the method based on density functional theory and continuum mechanics. This method has been developed by the authors over 20 years and used for modeling in various multiphase hydrodynamic applications. In this paper, DFH was further extended to encompass phenomena inherent in liquids at nanoscale. The new DFH extension is based on the introduction of external potentials for chemical components. These potentials are localized in the vicinity of solid surfaces and take account of the van der Waals forces. A set of numerical examples, including disjoining pressure, film precursors, anomalous rheology, liquid in contact with heterogeneous surface, capillary condensation, and forward and reverse osmosis, is presented to demonstrate modeling capabilities.

A density functional for sparse matter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langreth, D.C.; Lundqvist, Bengt; Chakarova-Kack, S.D.

2009-01-01

forces in molecules, to adsorbed molecules, like benzene, naphthalene, phenol and adenine on graphite, alumina and metals, to polymer and carbon nanotube (CNT) crystals, and hydrogen storage in graphite and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and to the structure of DNA and of DNA with intercalators......Sparse matter is abundant and has both strong local bonds and weak nonbonding forces, in particular nonlocal van der Waals (vdW) forces between atoms separated by empty space. It encompasses a broad spectrum of systems, like soft matter, adsorption systems and biostructures. Density-functional...... theory (DFT), long since proven successful for dense matter, seems now to have come to a point, where useful extensions to sparse matter are available. In particular, a functional form, vdW-DF (Dion et al 2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 246401; Thonhauser et al 2007 Phys. Rev. B 76 125112), has been proposed...

Multiple critical points and liquid-liquid equilibria from the van der Waals like equations of state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artemenko, Sergey; Lozovsky, Taras; Mazur, Victor

2008-01-01

The principal aim of this work is a comprehensive analysis of the phase diagram of water via the van der Waals like equations of state (EoSs) which are considered as superpositions of repulsive and attractive forces. We test more extensively the modified van der Waals EoS (MVDW) proposed by Skibinski et al (2004 Phys. Rev. E 69 061206) and refine this model by introducing instead of the classical van der Waals repulsive term a very accurate hard sphere EoS over the entire stable and metastable regions (Liu 2006 Preprint cond-mat/0605392). It was detected that the simplest form of MVDW EoS displays a complex phase behavior, including three critical points, and identifies four fluid phases (gas, low density liquid (LDL), high density liquid (HDL), and very high density liquid (VHDL)). Moreover the experimentally observed (Mallamace et al 2007 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104 18387) anomalous behavior of the density of water in the deeply supercooled region (a density minimum) is reproduced by the MWDW EoS. An improvement of the repulsive part does not change the topological picture of the phase behavior of water in the wide range of thermodynamic variables. The new parameters set for second and third critical points are recognized by thorough analysis of experimental data for the loci of thermodynamic response function extrema

Silicene on MoS2: role of the van der Waals interaction

KAUST Repository

Jiajie Zhu,

2015-10-13

We demonstrate for silicene on MoS2 substrate the limitations of the predictive power of first principles calculations based on van der Waals density functional theory. Only the optB86b-vdW functional is found to give reasonable agreement with experimental results on structural properties, while for all other investigated functionals the interlayer interaction is underestimated or the charge redistribution at the interface is not described correctly so that the predicted electronic structure is qualitatively wrong. © 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Effect of temperature and density fluctuations on the spatially heterogeneous dynamics of glass-forming Van der Waals liquids under high pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Koperwas, K; Grzybowski, A; Grzybowska, K; Wojnarowska, Z; Sokolov, A P; Paluch, M

2013-09-20

In this Letter, we show how temperature and density fluctuations affect the spatially heterogeneous dynamics at ambient and elevated pressures. By using high-pressure experimental data for van der Waals liquids, we examine contributions of the temperature and density fluctuations to the dynamics heterogeneity. We show that the dynamic heterogeneity decreases significantly with increasing pressure at a constant structural relaxation time (isochronal condition), while the broadening of the relaxation spectrum remains constant. This observation questions the relationship between spectral broadening and dynamic heterogeneity.

van der Waals

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

University education was beyond reach for van der Waals as he had to work for earning his daily bread ... languages, which was a prerequisite for entering a University those days. van der Waals worked as a school ... take academic examinations at the University yet, van der Waals continued studying at Leiden. University ...

Graphene oxide and adsorption of chloroform: A density functional study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuisma, Elena; Hansson, C. Fredrik; Lindberg, Th. Benjamin; Gillberg, Christoffer A.; Idh, Sebastian; Schröder, Elsebeth, E-mail: schroder@chalmers.se [Quantum Device Physics Laboratory, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg (Sweden)

2016-05-14

Chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds are of environmental concerns, since they are toxic to humans and other mammals, and are widespread, and exposure is hard to avoid. Understanding and improving methods to reduce the amount of the substances are important. We present an atomic-scale calculational study of the adsorption of chlorine-based substance chloroform (CHCl{sub 3}) on graphene oxide, as a step in estimating the capacity of graphene oxide for filtering out such substances, e.g., from drinking water. The calculations are based on density functional theory, and the recently developed consistent-exchange functional for the van der Waals density-functional method is employed. We obtain values of the chloroform adsorption energy varying from roughly 0.2 to 0.4 eV per molecule. This is comparable to previously found results for chloroform adsorbed directly on clean graphene, using similar calculations. In a wet environment, like filters for drinking water, the graphene will not stay clean and will likely oxidize, and thus adsorption onto graphene oxide, rather than clean graphene, is a more relevant process to study.

Density functional theory with van der waals corrections study of the adsorption of alkyl, alkylthiol, alkoxyl, and amino-alkyl chains on the H:Si(111) surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Arefi, Hadi H; Nolan, Michael; Fagas, Giorgos

2014-11-11

Surface modification of silicon with organic monolayers tethered to the surface by different linkers is an important process in realizing future miniaturized electronic and sensor devices. Understanding the roles played by the nature of the linking group and the chain length on the adsorption structures and stabilities of these assemblies is vital to advance this technology. This paper presents a density functional theory (DFT) study of the hydrogen passivated Si(111) surface modified with alkyl chains of the general formula H:Si-(CH2)n-CH2 and H:Si-X-(CH2)n-CH3, where X = NH, O, S and n = (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11), at half coverage. For (X)-hexane and (X)-dodecane functionalization, we also examined various coverages up to full monolayer grafting in order to validate the result of half covered surface and the linker effect on the coverage. We find that it is necessary to take into account the van der Waals interaction between the alkyl chains. The strongest binding is for the oxygen linker, followed by S, N, and C, irrespective of chain length. The result revealed that the sequence of the stability is independent of coverage; however, linkers other than carbon can shift the optimum coverage considerably and allow further packing density. For all linkers apart from sulfur, structural properties, in particular, surface-linker-chain angles, saturate to a single value once n > 3. For sulfur, we identify three regimes, namely, n = 0-3, n = 5-7, and n = 9-11, each with its own characteristic adsorption structures. Where possible, our computational results are shown to be consistent with the available experimental data and show how the fundamental structural properties of modified Si surfaces can be controlled by the choice of linking group and chain length.

Improved models for the prediction of activity coefficients in nearly athermal mixtures .2. A theoretically-based G(E)-model based on the van der Waals partition function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kontogeorgis, Georgios; Georgios, Nikolopoulos; Fredenslund, Aage

1997-01-01

of the generalized van der Waals partition function and attempts to account for all non-energetic effects of solutions of both short- and long-chain alkanes, including alkane polymers. Both the free-volume effects and the density-dependent rotational degrees of freedom are considered. The resulting G(E)-model which......, despite its derivation from a partition function resembles the Flory-Huggins formula, is suitable for vapor-liquid and solid-liquid equilibrium calculations for nearly athermal polymer solutions as well as for alkane systems. We show that using plausible assumptions for the free-volume and the external...

The X3LYP extended density functional for accurate descriptions of nonbond interactions, spin states, and thermochemical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xin; Goddard, William A.

2004-01-01

We derive the form for an exact exchange energy density for a density decaying with Gaussian-like behavior at long range. Based on this, we develop the X3LYP (extended hybrid functional combined with Lee–Yang–Parr correlation functional) extended functional for density functional theory to significantly improve the accuracy for hydrogen-bonded and van der Waals complexes while also improving the accuracy in heats of formation, ionization potentials, electron affinities, and total atomic energies [over the most popular and accurate method, B3LYP (Becke three-parameter hybrid functional combined with Lee–Yang–Parr correlation functional)]. X3LYP also leads to a good description of dipole moments, polarizabilities, and accurate excitation energies from s to d orbitals for transition metal atoms and ions. We suggest that X3LYP will be useful for predicting ligand binding in proteins and DNA. PMID:14981235

van der Waals

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

in the world without learning the 'van der Waals equation'. ... theory”. Those days, however, molecules were assumed to be point masses occupying no .... was 36 to obtain his PhD due to the prevailing social conditions. van der Waals died in ...

van der Waals interactions in a magnetodielectric medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spagnolo, S.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Milonni, P. W.

2007-01-01

The van der Waals interaction between two ground-state atoms is calculated for two electrically or magnetically polarizable particles embedded in a dispersive magnetodielectric medium. Unlike previous calculations which infer the atom-atom interaction from the dilute-medium limit of the macroscopic, many-body van der Waals interaction, the interaction is calculated directly for the system of two atoms in a magnetodielectric medium. Two approaches are presented, the first based on the quantized electromagnetic field in a dispersive medium without absorption and the second on Green functions that allow for absorption. We show that the correct van der Waals interactions are obtained regardless of whether absorption in the host medium is explicitly taken into account

From The Cover: The X3LYP extended density functional for accurate descriptions of nonbond interactions, spin states, and thermochemical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xin; Goddard, William A., III

2004-03-01

We derive the form for an exact exchange energy density for a density decaying with Gaussian-like behavior at long range. Based on this, we develop the X3LYP (extended hybrid functional combined with Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional) extended functional for density functional theory to significantly improve the accuracy for hydrogen-bonded and van der Waals complexes while also improving the accuracy in heats of formation, ionization potentials, electron affinities, and total atomic energies [over the most popular and accurate method, B3LYP (Becke three-parameter hybrid functional combined with Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional)]. X3LYP also leads to a good description of dipole moments, polarizabilities, and accurate excitation energies from s to d orbitals for transition metal atoms and ions. We suggest that X3LYP will be useful for predicting ligand binding in proteins and DNA.

EDITORIAL: Van der Waals interactions in advanced materials, in memory of David C Langreth Van der Waals interactions in advanced materials, in memory of David C Langreth

Science.gov (United States)

Hyldgaard, Per; Rahman, Talat S.

2012-10-01

Solid State Commun. 17 1425 [4]Gunnarsson O and Lundqvist B I 1976 Exchange and correlation in atoms, molecules, and solids by the spin-density-functional formalism Phys. Rev. B 13 4274 [5]Langreth D C and Mehl M J 1981 Beyond the local-density approximation in calculations of ground-state electronic properties Phys. Rev. B 47 446 [6]Dion M, Rydberg H, Schröder E, Langreth D C and Lundqvist B I 2004 Van der Waals density functional for general geometries Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 246401 Thonhauser T, Cooper V R, Li S, Puzder A, Hyldgaard P and Langreth D C 2007 Van der Waals density functional: self-consistent potential and the nature of the van der Waals bond Phys. Rev. B 76 125112 [7]Lee K, Murray E D, Kong L, Lundqvist B I and Langreth D C 2010 A higher-accuracy van der Waals density functional Phys. Rev. B 82 081101 [8]Rapcewicz K and Ashcroft N W 1991 Fluctuation attraction in condensed matter: a nonlocal functional approach Phys. Rev. B 44 4032 Lundqvist B I, Andersson Y, Shao H, Chan S and Langreth D C 1995 Density functional theory including van der Waals forces Int. J. Quant. Chem. 56 247 [9]Langreth D C et al 2009 A density functional for sparse matter J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 084203 [10]For example, Kohn W, Meir Y and Makarov D E 1998 The exchange-correlation energy of a metallic surface Phys. Rev. Lett. 80 4153 Kurth S and Perdew J P 1999 Phys. Rev. B 59 10461 Dobson J F and Wang J 1999 Phys. Rev. Lett. 82 2123 Pitarke J M and Perdew J P 2003 Phys. Rev. B 67 045101 Vydrov O A and van Voorhi T 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 063004 [11]For example, Grimme S 2004 J. Comput. Phys. 25 1463 Tkatchenko A and Scheffler M 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 073005 Grimme S, Antony J, Ehrlich S and Krieg H 2010 J. Chem. Phys. 132 154004 [12]Burke K 2012 Perspectives on density functional theory J. Chem. Phys. 136 150901 Van der Waals interactions in advanced materials contents Van der Waals interactions in advanced materials, in memory of David C LangrethPer Hyldgaard and Talat S

Transport Properties Of Van Der Waals Hybrid Heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacheco, M.; Orellana, P. A.; Felix, A. B.; Latge, A.

Here we study transport properties of van der Waals heterostructures composed of carbon nanotubes adsorbed on nanoribbons of distinct 2D materials. Calculations of the electronic density of states and conductance of the hybrid systems are obtained in single band tight-binding approximation in the Green function formalism by adopting real-space renormalization schemes. We show that an analytical approach may be derived when both systems are formed by the same type of atoms. In the coupled structures the different electronic paths along the ribbons and finite nanotubes lead to quantum interference effects which are reflected as Fano antiresonances in the conductance. The electronic and transport properties of these materials are modulated by changing geometrical and structural parameters, such as the nanotube diameter and the widths and edge type of the ribbons. FONDECYT 1151316-1140571.

Strong interlayer coupling in phosphorene/graphene van der Waals heterostructure: A first-principles investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xue-Rong; Zheng, Ji-Ming; Ren, Zhao-Yu

2018-04-01

Based on first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory, we study the electronic properties of phosphorene/graphene heterostructures. Band gaps with different sizes are observed in the heterostructure, and charges transfer from graphene to phosphorene, causing the Fermi level of the heterostructure to shift downward with respect to the Dirac point of graphene. Significantly, strong coupling between two layers is discovered in the band spectrum even though it has a van der Waals heterostructure. A tight-binding Hamiltonian model is used to reveal that the resonance of the Bloch states between the phosphorene and graphene layers in certain K points combines with the symmetry matching between band states, which explains the reason for the strong coupling in such heterostructures. This work may enhance the understanding of interlayer interaction and composition mechanisms in van der Waals heterostructures consisting of two-dimensional layered nanomaterials, and may indicate potential reference information for nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

Ab-initio study of structural and electronic properties of WS2/h-BN van der Waals heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi majd, Zahra; Amiri, Peiman; Taghizadeh, Seyed Fardin

2018-06-01

First-principle calculations with different exchange-correlation functionals, including LDA, GGA, semi-empirical and ab-initio van der Waals in the forms of vdW-DF2B86R and vdW-DF2 were performed to evaluate the performance of different functionals in describing the bonding mechanism, adsorption energy and interlayer distance of WS2 monolayer on and between h-BN layers. The finding was that the vdW-DF2B86R seems to be the approach best lending itself to this purpose. In order to include the van der Waals (vdW) interactions in our calculations, we used the DFT-D2 and vdW methods, which gave rise to a physical adsorption with no net charge transfer between the WS2 layer and the corresponding substrates. In addition, we investigated the electronic and structural properties of WS2 and h-BN heterolayers, using vdW-DF2B86R functional. Based on density functional theory calculations, WS2 on and between h-BN layers showed a direct band gap at the K-point, which was experimentally observed.

An extended hybrid density functional (X3LYP) with improved descriptions of nonbond interactions and thermodynamic properties of molecular systems

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xin; Zhang, Qingsong; Muller, Richard P.; Goddard, William A.

2005-01-01

We derive here the form for the exact exchange energy density for a density that decays with Gaussian-type behavior at long range. This functional is intermediate between the B88 and the PW91 exchange functionals. Using this modified functional to match the form expected for Gaussian densities, we propose the X3LYP extended functional. We find that X3LYP significantly outperforms Becke three parameter Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) for describing van der Waals and hydrogen bond interactions, while performing slightly better than B3LYP for predicting heats of formation, ionization potentials, electron affinities, proton affinities, and total atomic energies as validated with the extended G2 set of atoms and molecules. Thus X3LYP greatly enlarges the field of applications for density functional theory. In particular the success of X3LYP in describing the water dimer (with Re and De within the error bars of the most accurate determinations) makes it an excellent candidate for predicting accurate ligand-protein and ligand-DNA interactions.

Out-of-plane heat transfer in van der Waals stacks through electron-hyperbolic phonon coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Tielrooij, Klaas-Jan; Hesp, Niels C. H.; Principi, Alessandro; Lundeberg, Mark B.; Pogna, Eva A. A.; Banszerus, Luca; Mics, Zoltán; Massicotte, Mathieu; Schmidt, Peter; Davydovskaya, Diana; Purdie, David G.; Goykhman, Ilya; Soavi, Giancarlo; Lombardo, Antonio; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Bonn, Mischa; Turchinovich, Dmitry; Stampfer, Christoph; Ferrari, Andrea C.; Cerullo, Giulio; Polini, Marco; Koppens, Frank H. L.

2018-01-01

Van der Waals heterostructures have emerged as promising building blocks that offer access to new physics, novel device functionalities and superior electrical and optoelectronic properties1-7. Applications such as thermal management, photodetection, light emission, data communication, high-speed electronics and light harvesting8-16 require a thorough understanding of (nanoscale) heat flow. Here, using time-resolved photocurrent measurements, we identify an efficient out-of-plane energy transfer channel, where charge carriers in graphene couple to hyperbolic phonon polaritons17-19 in the encapsulating layered material. This hyperbolic cooling is particularly efficient, giving picosecond cooling times for hexagonal BN, where the high-momentum hyperbolic phonon polaritons enable efficient near-field energy transfer. We study this heat transfer mechanism using distinct control knobs to vary carrier density and lattice temperature, and find excellent agreement with theory without any adjustable parameters. These insights may lead to the ability to control heat flow in van der Waals heterostructures.

Rationale for switching to nonlocal functionals in density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazić, P; Atodiresei, N; Caciuc, V; Brako, R; Gumhalter, B; Blügel, S

2012-10-24

Density functional theory (DFT) has been steadily improving over the past few decades, becoming the standard tool for electronic structure calculations. The early local functionals (LDA) were eventually replaced by more accurate semilocal functionals (GGA) which are in use today. A major persisting drawback is the lack of the nonlocal correlation which is at the core of dispersive (van der Waals) forces, so that a large and important class of systems remains outside the scope of DFT. The vdW-DF correlation functional of Langreth and Lundqvist, published in 2004, was the first nonlocal functional which could be easily implemented. Beyond expectations, the nonlocal functional has brought significant improvement to systems that were believed not to be sensitive to nonlocal correlations. In this paper, we use the example of graphene nanodomes growing on the Ir(111) surface, where with an increase of the size of the graphene islands the character of the bonding changes from strong chemisorption towards almost pure physisorption. We demonstrate how the seamless character of the vdW-DF functionals makes it possible to treat all regimes self-consistently, proving to be a systematic and consistent improvement of DFT regardless of the nature of bonding. We also discuss the typical surface science example of CO adsorption on (111) surfaces of metals, which shows that the nonlocal correlation may also be crucial for strongly chemisorbed systems. We briefly discuss open questions, in particular the choice of the most appropriate exchange part of the functional. As the vdW-DF begins to appear implemented self-consistently in a number of popular DFT codes, with numerical costs close to the GGA calculations, we draw the attention of the DFT community to the advantages and benefits of the adoption of this new class of functionals.

Rationale for switching to nonlocal functionals in density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazić, P; Atodiresei, N; Caciuc, V; Blügel, S; Brako, R; Gumhalter, B

2012-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) has been steadily improving over the past few decades, becoming the standard tool for electronic structure calculations. The early local functionals (LDA) were eventually replaced by more accurate semilocal functionals (GGA) which are in use today. A major persisting drawback is the lack of the nonlocal correlation which is at the core of dispersive (van der Waals) forces, so that a large and important class of systems remains outside the scope of DFT. The vdW-DF correlation functional of Langreth and Lundqvist, published in 2004, was the first nonlocal functional which could be easily implemented. Beyond expectations, the nonlocal functional has brought significant improvement to systems that were believed not to be sensitive to nonlocal correlations. In this paper, we use the example of graphene nanodomes growing on the Ir(111) surface, where with an increase of the size of the graphene islands the character of the bonding changes from strong chemisorption towards almost pure physisorption. We demonstrate how the seamless character of the vdW-DF functionals makes it possible to treat all regimes self-consistently, proving to be a systematic and consistent improvement of DFT regardless of the nature of bonding. We also discuss the typical surface science example of CO adsorption on (111) surfaces of metals, which shows that the nonlocal correlation may also be crucial for strongly chemisorbed systems. We briefly discuss open questions, in particular the choice of the most appropriate exchange part of the functional. As the vdW-DF begins to appear implemented self-consistently in a number of popular DFT codes, with numerical costs close to the GGA calculations, we draw the attention of the DFT community to the advantages and benefits of the adoption of this new class of functionals.

Compact two-electron wave function for bond dissociation and Van der Waals interactions: a natural amplitude assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Giesbertz, Klaas J H; van Leeuwen, Robert

2014-05-14

Electron correlations in molecules can be divided in short range dynamical correlations, long range Van der Waals type interactions, and near degeneracy static correlations. In this work, we analyze for a one-dimensional model of a two-electron system how these three types of correlations can be incorporated in a simple wave function of restricted functional form consisting of an orbital product multiplied by a single correlation function f (r12) depending on the interelectronic distance r12. Since the three types of correlations mentioned lead to different signatures in terms of the natural orbital (NO) amplitudes in two-electron systems, we make an analysis of the wave function in terms of the NO amplitudes for a model system of a diatomic molecule. In our numerical implementation, we fully optimize the orbitals and the correlation function on a spatial grid without restrictions on their functional form. Due to this particular form of the wave function, we can prove that none of the amplitudes vanishes and moreover that it displays a distinct sign pattern and a series of avoided crossings as a function of the bond distance in agreement with the exact solution. This shows that the wave function ansatz correctly incorporates the long range Van der Waals interactions. We further show that the approximate wave function gives an excellent binding curve and is able to describe static correlations. We show that in order to do this the correlation function f (r12) needs to diverge for large r12 at large internuclear distances while for shorter bond distances it increases as a function of r12 to a maximum value after which it decays exponentially. We further give a physical interpretation of this behavior.

Quantum field theory of van der Waals friction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volokitin, A. I.; Persson, B. N. J.

2006-01-01

van der Waals friction between two semi-infinite solids, and between a small neutral particle and semi-infinite solid is studied using thermal quantum field theory in the Matsubara formulation. We show that the friction to linear order in the sliding velocity can be obtained from the equilibrium Green functions and that our treatment can be extended for bodies with complex geometry. The calculated friction agrees with the friction obtained using a dynamical modification of the Lifshitz theory, which is based on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. We show that it should be possible to measure the van der Waals friction in noncontact friction experiment using state-of-the-art equipment

Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of van der Waals interactions between aromatic benzene rings

Science.gov (United States)

Azadi, Sam; Kühne, T. D.

2018-05-01

The magnitude of finite-size effects and Coulomb interactions in quantum Monte Carlo simulations of van der Waals interactions between weakly bonded benzene molecules are investigated. To that extent, two trial wave functions of the Slater-Jastrow and Backflow-Slater-Jastrow types are employed to calculate the energy-volume equation of state. We assess the impact of the backflow coordinate transformation on the nonlocal correlation energy. We found that the effect of finite-size errors in quantum Monte Carlo calculations on energy differences is particularly large and may even be more important than the employed trial wave function. In addition to the cohesive energy, the singlet excitonic energy gap and the energy gap renormalization of crystalline benzene at different densities are computed.

C6H6/Au(111): Interface dipoles, band alignment, charging energy, and van der Waals interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abad, E.; Martinez, J. I.; Flores, F.; Ortega, J.; Dappe, Y. J.

2011-01-01

We analyze the benzene/Au(111) interface taking into account charging energy effects to properly describe the electronic structure of the interface and van der Waals interactions to obtain the adsorption energy and geometry. We also analyze the interface dipoles and discuss the barrier formation as a function of the metal work-function. We interpret our DFT calculations within the induced density of interface states (IDIS) model. Our results compare well with experimental and other theoretical results, showing that the dipole formation of these interfaces is due to the charge transfer between the metal and benzene, as described in the IDIS model.

Isotope engineering of van der Waals interactions in hexagonal boron nitride

Science.gov (United States)

Vuong, T. Q. P.; Liu, S.; van der Lee, A.; Cuscó, R.; Artús, L.; Michel, T.; Valvin, P.; Edgar, J. H.; Cassabois, G.; Gil, B.

2018-02-01

Hexagonal boron nitride is a model lamellar compound where weak, non-local van der Waals interactions ensure the vertical stacking of two-dimensional honeycomb lattices made of strongly bound boron and nitrogen atoms. We study the isotope engineering of lamellar compounds by synthesizing hexagonal boron nitride crystals with nearly pure boron isotopes (10B and 11B) compared to those with the natural distribution of boron (20 at% 10B and 80 at% 11B). On the one hand, as with standard semiconductors, both the phonon energy and electronic bandgap varied with the boron isotope mass, the latter due to the quantum effect of zero-point renormalization. On the other hand, temperature-dependent experiments focusing on the shear and breathing motions of adjacent layers revealed the specificity of isotope engineering in a layered material, with a modification of the van der Waals interactions upon isotope purification. The electron density distribution is more diffuse between adjacent layers in 10BN than in 11BN crystals. Our results open perspectives in understanding and controlling van der Waals bonding in layered materials.

Importance of van der Waals interaction on structural, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of NaCl

Science.gov (United States)

Marcondes, Michel L.; Wentzcovitch, Renata M.; Assali, Lucy V. C.

2018-05-01

Thermal equations of state (EOS) are essential in several scientific domains. However, experimental determination of EOS parameters may be limited at extreme conditions, therefore, ab initio calculations have become an important method to obtain them. Density functional theory (DFT) and its extensions with various degrees of approximations for the exchange and correlation (XC) energy is the method of choice, but large errors in the EOS parameters are still common. The alkali halides have been problematic from the onset of this field and the quest for appropriate DFT functionals for such ionic and relatively weakly bonded systems has remained an active topic of research. Here we use DFT + van der Waals functionals to calculate vibrational properties, thermal EOS, thermodynamic properties, and the B1 to B2 phase boundary of NaCl with high precision. Our results reveal a remarkable improvement over the performance of standard local density approximation and generalized gradient approximation functionals for all these properties and phase transition boundary, as well as great sensitivity of anharmonic effects on the choice of XC functional.

Nuclear spin-spin coupling in a van der Waals-bonded system: xenon dimer.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaara, Juha; Hanni, Matti; Jokisaari, Jukka

2013-03-14

Nuclear spin-spin coupling over van der Waals bond has recently been observed via the frequency shift of solute protons in a solution containing optically hyperpolarized (129)Xe nuclei. We carry out a first-principles computational study of the prototypic van der Waals-bonded xenon dimer, where the spin-spin coupling between two magnetically non-equivalent isotopes, J((129)Xe - (131)Xe), is observable. We use relativistic theory at the four-component Dirac-Hartree-Fock and Dirac-density-functional theory levels using novel completeness-optimized Gaussian basis sets and choosing the functional based on a comparison with correlated ab initio methods at the nonrelativistic level. J-coupling curves are provided at different levels of theory as functions of the internuclear distance in the xenon dimer, demonstrating cross-coupling effects between relativity and electron correlation for this property. Calculations on small Xe clusters are used to estimate the importance of many-atom effects on J((129)Xe - (131)Xe). Possibilities of observing J((129)Xe - (131)Xe) in liquid xenon are critically examined, based on molecular dynamics simulation. A simplistic spherical model is set up for the xenon dimer confined in a cavity, such as in microporous materials. It is shown that the on the average shorter internuclear distance enforced by the confinement increases the magnitude of the coupling as compared to the bulk liquid case, rendering J((129)Xe - (131)Xe) in a cavity a feasible target for experimental investigation.

Accurate treatment of nanoelectronics through improved description of van der Waals Interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kelkkanen, Kari André

, or even as broken. The hexamer experience of the criteria and effects of vdW forces can be used in interpretation of results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of ambient water, where vdW forces qualitatively result in liquid water with fewer, more distorted HBs. This is interesting...... and relevance of van der Waals (vdW) forces in molecular surface adsorption and water through density- functional theory (DFT), using the exchange-correlation functional vdW-DF [Dion et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 246401 (2004)] and developments based on it. Results are first computed for adsorption with vd...... functionals. DFT calculations are performed for water dimer and hexamer, and for liquid water. Calculations on four low-energetic isomers of the water hexamer show that the vdW-DF accurately determines the energetic trend on these small clusters. How- ever, the dissociation-energy values with the vd...

Revisiting the adsorption of copper-phthalocyanine on Au(111) including van der Waals corrections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lüder, Johann; Eriksson, Olle; Sanyal, Biplab; Brena, Barbara

2014-01-01

We have studied the adsorption of copper-phthalocyanine on Au(111) by means of van der Waals corrected density functional theory using the Tkatchenko-Scheffler method. We have compared the element and site resolved adsorption distances to recent experimental normal-incident X-ray standing wave measurements. The measured adsorption distances could be reproduced within a deviation of 1% for the Cu atom, 1% for the C atoms, and 2% for the N atoms. The molecule was found to have a magnetic moment of 1 μ B distributed over the Cu and the N atoms of the pyrrole ring. Simulated scanning tunnel microscopy images based on the total and on the spin-resolved differential charge densities are provided for bias voltages of −1.45 and 1.45 eV

Adsorption and oxidation of SO2 by graphene oxides: A van der Waals density functional theory study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huijuan; Cen, Wanglai; Liu, Jie; Guo, Jiaxiu; Yin, Huaqiang; Ning, Ping

2015-01-01

Carbon materials have been used for low temperature (20-150 °C) catalytic removal of SO2 from the coal-burned flue gases for a long time, but the mechanism at atomic level is still controversial. Density functional theory was used to investigate the adsorption and oxidation of SO2 on elaborated graphene oxides (GOs) to discover the insights. It is found that the hydroxyl groups on GO surface possess bi-functional effects: both enhancing the adsorption of SO2 through H-bonding interaction and reducing the reaction barrier for its oxidation to SO3. The promotion of oxidation is related to a pre-activation of the surface epoxy group. Based on Bader population, charge difference and electron localization function analysis, a charge transfer channel is proposed to explain the pre-activation.

Van der Waals equation of state revisited: importance of the dispersion correction.

Science.gov (United States)

de Visser, Sam P

2011-04-28

One of the most basic equations of state describing nonideal gases and liquids is the van der Waals equation of state, and as a consequence, it is generally taught in most first year undergraduate chemistry courses. In this work, we show that the constants a and b in the van der Waals equation of state are linearly proportional to the polarizability volume of the molecules in a gas or liquid. Using this information, a new thermodynamic one-parameter equation of state is derived that contains experimentally measurable variables and physics constants only. This is the first equation of state apart from the Ideal Gas Law that contains experimentally measurable variables and physics constants only, and as such, it may be a very useful and practical equation for the description of dilute gases and liquids. The modified van der Waals equation of state describes pV as the sum of repulsive and attractive intermolecular interaction energies that are represented by an exponential repulsion function between the electron clouds of the molecules and a London dispersion component, respectively. The newly derived equation of state is tested against experimental data for several gas and liquid examples, and the agreement is satisfactory. The description of the equation of state as a one-parameter function also has implications on other thermodynamic functions, such as critical parameters, virial coefficients, and isothermal compressibilities. Using our modified van der Waals equation of state, we show that all of these properties are a function of the molecular polarizability volume. Correlations of experimental data confirm the derived proportionalities.

Density functional theory calculations on alkali and the alkaline Ca atoms adsorbed on graphene monolayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimakis, Nicholas; Valdez, Danielle; Flor, Fernando Antonio; Salgado, Andres; Adjibi, Kolade; Vargas, Sarah; Saenz, Justin

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Li, K, Na, and Ca graphene interaction is primarily ionic, whereas small covalent interactions also co-exist in these cases. • Van der Waals interactions are revealed by comparing adatom-graphene geometries between 1.4% and 3% adatom coverages and using Grimme corrections. • The Li, K, Na graphene interactions are accurately described by both PBE0 and PBE functionals. For Ca/graphene, the PBE0 functional should not be used. • For Li, K, and Na adsorbed on graphene, adatom-graphene interaction weakens as the adatom coverages increases. • The Ca-graphene interaction strength, which is stronger at high coverages, is opposite to increases in the Ca–4s orbital population. - Abstract: The adsorption of the alkali Li, K, and Na and the alkaline Ca on graphene is studied using periodic density functional theory (DFT) under various adatom coverages. The charge transfers between the adatom and the graphene sheet and the almost unchanged densities-of-states spectra in the energy region near and below the Fermi level support an ionic bond pattern between the adatom and the graphene atoms. However, the presence of small orbital overlap between the metal and the nearest graphene atom is indicative of small covalent bonding. Van der Waals interactions are examined through a semiempirical correction in the DFT functional and by comparing adatom-graphene calculations between 3% and 1.4% adatom coverages. Optimized adatom-graphene geometries identify the preferred adatom sites, whereas the adatom-graphene strength is correlated with the adsorption energy and the adatom distance from the graphene plane. Calculated electronic properties and structural parameters are obtained using hybrid functionals and a generalized gradient approximation functional paired with basis sets of various sizes. We found that due to long range electrostatic forces between the alkali/alkaline adatoms and the graphene monolayer, the adatom-graphene structural and electronic

Density functional theory calculations on alkali and the alkaline Ca atoms adsorbed on graphene monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimakis, Nicholas, E-mail: nicholas.dimakis@utrgv.edu [Department of Physics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX (United States); Valdez, Danielle; Flor, Fernando Antonio; Salgado, Andres; Adjibi, Kolade [Department of Physics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX (United States); Vargas, Sarah; Saenz, Justin [Robert Vela High School, Edinburg, TX (United States)

2017-08-15

Highlights: • Li, K, Na, and Ca graphene interaction is primarily ionic, whereas small covalent interactions also co-exist in these cases. • Van der Waals interactions are revealed by comparing adatom-graphene geometries between 1.4% and 3% adatom coverages and using Grimme corrections. • The Li, K, Na graphene interactions are accurately described by both PBE0 and PBE functionals. For Ca/graphene, the PBE0 functional should not be used. • For Li, K, and Na adsorbed on graphene, adatom-graphene interaction weakens as the adatom coverages increases. • The Ca-graphene interaction strength, which is stronger at high coverages, is opposite to increases in the Ca–4s orbital population. - Abstract: The adsorption of the alkali Li, K, and Na and the alkaline Ca on graphene is studied using periodic density functional theory (DFT) under various adatom coverages. The charge transfers between the adatom and the graphene sheet and the almost unchanged densities-of-states spectra in the energy region near and below the Fermi level support an ionic bond pattern between the adatom and the graphene atoms. However, the presence of small orbital overlap between the metal and the nearest graphene atom is indicative of small covalent bonding. Van der Waals interactions are examined through a semiempirical correction in the DFT functional and by comparing adatom-graphene calculations between 3% and 1.4% adatom coverages. Optimized adatom-graphene geometries identify the preferred adatom sites, whereas the adatom-graphene strength is correlated with the adsorption energy and the adatom distance from the graphene plane. Calculated electronic properties and structural parameters are obtained using hybrid functionals and a generalized gradient approximation functional paired with basis sets of various sizes. We found that due to long range electrostatic forces between the alkali/alkaline adatoms and the graphene monolayer, the adatom-graphene structural and electronic

Redox levels in aqueous solution: Effect of van der Waals interactions and hybrid functionals

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrosio, Francesco; Miceli, Giacomo; Pasquarello, Alfredo

2015-12-01

We investigate redox levels in aqueous solution using a combination of ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and thermodynamic integration methods. The molecular dynamics are performed with both the semilocal Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional and a nonlocal functional (rVV10) accounting for van der Waals (vdW) interactions. The band edges are determined through three different schemes, namely, from the energy of the highest occupied and of the lowest unoccupied Kohn-Sham states, from total-energy differences, and from a linear extrapolation of the density of states. It is shown that the latter does not depend on the system size while the former two are subject to significant finite-size effects. For the redox levels, we provide a formulation in analogy to the definition of charge transition levels for defects in crystalline materials. We consider the H+/H2 level defining the standard hydrogen electrode, the OH-/OH∗ level corresponding to the oxidation of the hydroxyl ion, and the H2O/OH∗ level for the dehydrogenation of water. In spite of the large structural modifications induced in liquid water, vdW interactions do not lead to any significant structural effect on the calculated band gap and band edges. The effect on the redox levels is also small since the solvation properties of ionic species are little affected by vdW interactions. Since the electronic properties are not significantly affected by the underlying structural properties, it is justified to perform hybrid functional calculations on the configurations of our MD simulations. The redox levels calculated as a function of the fraction α of Fock exchange are found to remain constant, reproducing a general behavior previously observed for charge transition levels of defects. Comparison with experimental values shows very good agreement. At variance, the band edges and the band gap evolve linearly with α. For α ≃ 0.40, we achieve a band gap, band-edge positions, and redox levels in overall

Redox levels in aqueous solution: Effect of van der Waals interactions and hybrid functionals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ambrosio, Francesco, E-mail: Francesco.Ambrosio@epfl.ch; Miceli, Giacomo; Pasquarello, Alfredo [Chaire de Simulation à l’Echelle Atomique (CSEA), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2015-12-28

We investigate redox levels in aqueous solution using a combination of ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and thermodynamic integration methods. The molecular dynamics are performed with both the semilocal Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional and a nonlocal functional (rVV10) accounting for van der Waals (vdW) interactions. The band edges are determined through three different schemes, namely, from the energy of the highest occupied and of the lowest unoccupied Kohn-Sham states, from total-energy differences, and from a linear extrapolation of the density of states. It is shown that the latter does not depend on the system size while the former two are subject to significant finite-size effects. For the redox levels, we provide a formulation in analogy to the definition of charge transition levels for defects in crystalline materials. We consider the H{sup +}/H{sub 2} level defining the standard hydrogen electrode, the OH{sup −}/OH{sup ∗} level corresponding to the oxidation of the hydroxyl ion, and the H{sub 2}O/OH{sup ∗} level for the dehydrogenation of water. In spite of the large structural modifications induced in liquid water, vdW interactions do not lead to any significant structural effect on the calculated band gap and band edges. The effect on the redox levels is also small since the solvation properties of ionic species are little affected by vdW interactions. Since the electronic properties are not significantly affected by the underlying structural properties, it is justified to perform hybrid functional calculations on the configurations of our MD simulations. The redox levels calculated as a function of the fraction α of Fock exchange are found to remain constant, reproducing a general behavior previously observed for charge transition levels of defects. Comparison with experimental values shows very good agreement. At variance, the band edges and the band gap evolve linearly with α. For α ≃ 0.40, we achieve a band gap, band

Accurate van der Waals force field for gas adsorption in porous materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Lei; Yang, Li; Zhang, Ya-Dong; Shi, Qi; Lu, Rui-Feng; Deng, Wei-Qiao

2017-09-05

An accurate van der Waals force field (VDW FF) was derived from highly precise quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. Small molecular clusters were used to explore van der Waals interactions between gas molecules and porous materials. The parameters of the accurate van der Waals force field were determined by QM calculations. To validate the force field, the prediction results from the VDW FF were compared with standard FFs, such as UFF, Dreiding, Pcff, and Compass. The results from the VDW FF were in excellent agreement with the experimental measurements. This force field can be applied to the prediction of the gas density (H 2 , CO 2 , C 2 H 4 , CH 4 , N 2 , O 2 ) and adsorption performance inside porous materials, such as covalent organic frameworks (COFs), zeolites and metal organic frameworks (MOFs), consisting of H, B, N, C, O, S, Si, Al, Zn, Mg, Ni, and Co. This work provides a solid basis for studying gas adsorption in porous materials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tuning electronic transport in epitaxial graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yu-Chuan; Li, Jun; de La Barrera, Sergio C.; Eichfeld, Sarah M.; Nie, Yifan; Addou, Rafik; Mende, Patrick C.; Wallace, Robert M.; Cho, Kyeongjae; Feenstra, Randall M.; Robinson, Joshua A.

2016-04-01

Two-dimensional tungsten diselenide (WSe2) has been used as a component in atomically thin photovoltaic devices, field effect transistors, and tunneling diodes in tandem with graphene. In some applications it is necessary to achieve efficient charge transport across the interface of layered WSe2-graphene, a semiconductor to semimetal junction with a van der Waals (vdW) gap. In such cases, band alignment engineering is required to ensure a low-resistance, ohmic contact. In this work, we investigate the impact of graphene electronic properties on the transport at the WSe2-graphene interface. Electrical transport measurements reveal a lower resistance between WSe2 and fully hydrogenated epitaxial graphene (EGFH) compared to WSe2 grown on partially hydrogenated epitaxial graphene (EGPH). Using low-energy electron microscopy and reflectivity on these samples, we extract the work function difference between the WSe2 and graphene and employ a charge transfer model to determine the WSe2 carrier density in both cases. The results indicate that WSe2-EGFH displays ohmic behavior at small biases due to a large hole density in the WSe2, whereas WSe2-EGPH forms a Schottky barrier junction.Two-dimensional tungsten diselenide (WSe2) has been used as a component in atomically thin photovoltaic devices, field effect transistors, and tunneling diodes in tandem with graphene. In some applications it is necessary to achieve efficient charge transport across the interface of layered WSe2-graphene, a semiconductor to semimetal junction with a van der Waals (vdW) gap. In such cases, band alignment engineering is required to ensure a low-resistance, ohmic contact. In this work, we investigate the impact of graphene electronic properties on the transport at the WSe2-graphene interface. Electrical transport measurements reveal a lower resistance between WSe2 and fully hydrogenated epitaxial graphene (EGFH) compared to WSe2 grown on partially hydrogenated epitaxial graphene (EGPH). Using low

Nanostructure van der Waals interaction between a quantum well and a quantum dot atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horing, Norman J Morgenstern

2006-01-01

We examine the van der Waals interaction between mobile plasma electrons in a narrow quantum well nanostructure and a quantum dot atom. This formulation of the van der Waals interaction exhibits it to second order as the correlation energy (self-energy) of the dot-atom electrons mediated by the image potential arising from the dynamic, nonlocal and spatially inhomogeneous polarization of the quantum well plasma electrons. This image potential of the quantum-well plasma is, in turn, determined by the dynamic, nonlocal, inhomogeneous screening function of the quantum well, which involves the space-time matrix inversion of its spatially inhomogeneous, nonlocal and time-dependent dielectric function. The latter matrix inversion is carried out exactly, in closed form, and the van der Waals energy is evaluated in the electrostatic limit to dipole-dipole terms

Spin theory of the density functional: reduced matrices and density functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlov, R.; Delchev, Y.; Pavlova, K.; Maruani, J.

1993-01-01

Expressions for the reduced matrices and density functions of N-fermion systems of arbitrary order s (1<=s<=N) are derived within the frame of rigorous spin approach to the density functional theory (DFT). Using the local-scale transformation method and taking into account the particle spin it is shown that the reduced matrices and density functions are functionals of the total one-fermion density. Similar dependence is found for the distribution density of s-particle aggregates. Generalization and applicability of DFT to the case of s-particle ensembles and aggregates is discussed. 14 refs

Modeling of Materials for Energy Storage: A Challenge for Density Functional Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltak, Merzuk; Fernandez-Serra, Marivi; Hybertsen, Mark S.

Hollandite α-MnO2 is a promising material for rechargeable batteries and is studied extensively in the community because of its interesting tunnel structure and the corresponding large capacity for lithium as well as sodium ions. However, the presence of partially reduced Mn ions due to doping with Ag or during lithiation makes hollandite a challenging system for density functional theory and the conventionally employed PBE+U method. A naive attempt to model the ternary system LixAgyMnO2 with density functionals, similar to those employed for the case y = 0 , fails and predicts a strong monoclinic distortion of the experimentally observed tetragonal unit cell for Ag2Mn8O16. Structure and binding energies are compared with experimental data and show the importance of van der Waals interactions as well as the necessity for an accurate description of the cooperative Jan-Teller effects for silver hollandite AgyMnO2. Based on these observations a ternary phase diagram is calculated allowing to predict the physical and chemical properties of LixAgyMnO2, such as stable stoichiometries, open circuit voltages, the formation of Ag metal and the structural change during lithiation. Department of Energy (DOE) under award #DE-SC0012673.

Observing Imperfection in Atomic Interfaces for van der Waals Heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Rooney, Aidan P; Kozikov, Aleksey; Rudenko, Alexander N; Prestat, Eric; Hamer, Matthew J; Withers, Freddie; Cao, Yang; Novoselov, Kostya S; Katsnelson, Mikhail I; Gorbachev, Roman; Haigh, Sarah J

2017-09-13

Vertically stacked van der Waals heterostructures are a lucrative platform for exploring the rich electronic and optoelectronic phenomena in two-dimensional materials. Their performance will be strongly affected by impurities and defects at the interfaces. Here we present the first systematic study of interfaces in van der Waals heterostructure using cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) imaging. By measuring interlayer separations and comparing these to density functional theory (DFT) calculations we find that pristine interfaces exist between hBN and MoS 2 or WS 2 for stacks prepared by mechanical exfoliation in air. However, for two technologically important transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) systems, MoSe 2 and WSe 2 , our measurement of interlayer separations provide the first evidence for impurity species being trapped at buried interfaces with hBN interfaces that are flat at the nanometer length scale. While decreasing the thickness of encapsulated WSe 2 from bulk to monolayer we see a systematic increase in the interlayer separation. We attribute these differences to the thinnest TMDC flakes being flexible and hence able to deform mechanically around a sparse population of protruding interfacial impurities. We show that the air sensitive two-dimensional (2D) crystal NbSe 2 can be fabricated into heterostructures with pristine interfaces by processing in an inert-gas environment. Finally we find that adopting glovebox transfer significantly improves the quality of interfaces for WSe 2 compared to processing in air.

Experimental and density functional study of Mn doped Bi2Te3 topological insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ghasemi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We present a nanoscale structural and density functional study of the Mn doped 3D topological insulator Bi2Te3. X-ray absorption near edge structure shows that Mn has valency of nominally 2+. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy in combination with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS shows that Mn is a substitutional dopant of Bi and Te and also resides in the van der Waals gap between the quintuple layers of Bi2Te3. Combination of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and EELS shows that Mn substitution of Te occurs in film regions with increased Mn concentration. First-principles calculations show that the Mn dopants favor octahedral sites and are ferromagnetically coupled.

Modeling solvation effects in real-space and real-time within density functional approaches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delgado, Alain [Istituto Nanoscienze - CNR, Centro S3, via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena (Italy); Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear, Calle 30 # 502, 11300 La Habana (Cuba); Corni, Stefano; Pittalis, Stefano; Rozzi, Carlo Andrea [Istituto Nanoscienze - CNR, Centro S3, via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena (Italy)

2015-10-14

The Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM) can be used in conjunction with Density Functional Theory (DFT) and its time-dependent extension (TDDFT) to simulate the electronic and optical properties of molecules and nanoparticles immersed in a dielectric environment, typically liquid solvents. In this contribution, we develop a methodology to account for solvation effects in real-space (and real-time) (TD)DFT calculations. The boundary elements method is used to calculate the solvent reaction potential in terms of the apparent charges that spread over the van der Waals solute surface. In a real-space representation, this potential may exhibit a Coulomb singularity at grid points that are close to the cavity surface. We propose a simple approach to regularize such singularity by using a set of spherical Gaussian functions to distribute the apparent charges. We have implemented the proposed method in the OCTOPUS code and present results for the solvation free energies and solvatochromic shifts for a representative set of organic molecules in water.

Van der Waals epitaxy of functional MoO{sub 2} film on mica for flexible electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Chun-Hao [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, 30013 Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China); Lin, Jheng-Cyuan [Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Liu, Heng-Jui; Do, Thi Hien [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China); Zhu, Yuan-Min; Zhan, Qian [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Ha, Thai Duy; Juang, Jenh-Yih [Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China); He, Qing [Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Arenholz, Elke [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Chiu, Po-Wen, E-mail: pwchiu@ee.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, 30013 Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Chu, Ying-Hao, E-mail: yhc@nctu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China); Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China)

2016-06-20

Flexible electronics have a great potential to impact consumer electronics and with that our daily life. Currently, no direct growth of epitaxial functional oxides on commercially available flexible substrates is possible. In this study, in order to address this challenge, muscovite, a common layered oxide, is used as a flexible substrate that is chemically similar to typical functional oxides. We fabricated epitaxial MoO{sub 2} films on muscovite via pulsed laser deposition technique. A combination of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirms van der Waals epitaxy of the heterostructures. The electrical transport properties of MoO{sub 2} films are similar to those of the bulk. Flexible or free-standing MoO{sub 2} thin film can be obtained and serve as a template to integrate additional functional oxide layers. Our study demonstrates a remarkable concept to create flexible electronics based on functional oxides.

Electronic charge rearrangement at metal/organic interfaces induced by weak van der Waals interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Ferri, Nicola; Ambrosetti, Alberto; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

2017-07-01

Electronic charge rearrangements at interfaces between organic molecules and solid surfaces play a key role in a wide range of applications in catalysis, light-emitting diodes, single-molecule junctions, molecular sensors and switches, and photovoltaics. It is common to utilize electrostatics and Pauli pushback to control the interface electronic properties, while the ubiquitous van der Waals (vdW) interactions are often considered to have a negligible direct contribution (beyond the obvious structural relaxation). Here, we apply a fully self-consistent Tkatchenko-Scheffler vdW density functional to demonstrate that the weak vdW interactions can induce sizable charge rearrangements at hybrid metal/organic systems (HMOS). The complex vdW correlation potential smears out the interfacial electronic density, thereby reducing the charge transfer in HMOS, changes the interface work functions by up to 0.2 eV, and increases the interface dipole moment by up to 0.3 Debye. Our results suggest that vdW interactions should be considered as an additional control parameter in the design of hybrid interfaces with the desired electronic properties.

Van der Waals and Molecular Science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kox, A J

1997-01-01

For many years it has been a source of amazement to scientists and historians of science that no serious scientific biography of J D van der Waals existed. When, more than ten years ago, I became engaged in a correspondence with the Russian historian of science B E Yavelow on the topic of van der Waals, whose biography he was writing, I was both pleased and a bit puzzled. It was clear that Yavelow had not done any archival research in the Netherlands himself, yet he was intimately familiar with many obscure facts from the life of van der Waals. Naturally, I was very curious to see the end result, which appeared in 1985, but although the Amsterdam University Library obtained a copy, my limited knowledge of Russian kept me from forming a judgement on the book. Finally, after more than ten years, an English edition has appeared. The two original Russian authors have joined forces with the well known scientist J S Rowlinson (who earlier edited an English translation of van der Waals's dissertation) to produce a revised and enlarged English version of the Russian original. Now that I have finally been able to study this work, I must admit to being much impressed. Both the life and the work of van der Waals are dealt with in an exemplary way: the authors' command of primary and secondary sources is impressive, as is their understanding of the Dutch social and educational circumstances in the last century. Teaching and research at the newly-founded University of Amsterdam, as well as activities in the Academy of Sciences, are discussed in great and interesting detail. Van der Waals's education and rise from a simple teacher to one of the foremost theoretical physicists in Europe teaches us much about his personality as well as about the opportunities offered by the Dutch educational system. In their discussion of the development of van der Waals's ideas and their impact (including an interesting chapter on the reception in Russia) the authors are not afraid to go into

Signatures of van der Waals binding: A coupling-constant scaling analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Yang; Schröder, Elsebeth; Hyldgaard, Per

2018-02-01

The van der Waals (vdW) density functional (vdW-DF) method [Rep. Prog. Phys. 78, 066501 (2015), 10.1088/0034-4885/78/6/066501] describes dispersion or vdW binding by tracking the effects of an electrodynamic coupling among pairs of electrons and their associated exchange-correlation holes. This is done in a nonlocal-correlation energy term Ecnl, which permits density functional theory calculation in the Kohn-Sham scheme. However, to map the nature of vdW forces in a fully interacting materials system, it is necessary to also account for associated kinetic-correlation energy effects. Here, we present a coupling-constant scaling analysis, which permits us to compute the kinetic-correlation energy Tcnl that is specific to the vdW-DF account of nonlocal correlations. We thus provide a more complete spatially resolved analysis of the electrodynamical-coupling nature of nonlocal-correlation binding, including vdW attraction, in both covalently and noncovalently bonded systems. We find that kinetic-correlation energy effects play a significant role in the account of vdW or dispersion interactions among molecules. Furthermore, our mapping shows that the total nonlocal-correlation binding is concentrated to pockets in the sparse electron distribution located between the material fragments.

Accurate first-principles structures and energies of diversely bonded systems from an efficient density functional.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jianwei; Remsing, Richard C; Zhang, Yubo; Sun, Zhaoru; Ruzsinszky, Adrienn; Peng, Haowei; Yang, Zenghui; Paul, Arpita; Waghmare, Umesh; Wu, Xifan; Klein, Michael L; Perdew, John P

2016-09-01

One atom or molecule binds to another through various types of bond, the strengths of which range from several meV to several eV. Although some computational methods can provide accurate descriptions of all bond types, those methods are not efficient enough for many studies (for example, large systems, ab initio molecular dynamics and high-throughput searches for functional materials). Here, we show that the recently developed non-empirical strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) within the density functional theory framework predicts accurate geometries and energies of diversely bonded molecules and materials (including covalent, metallic, ionic, hydrogen and van der Waals bonds). This represents a significant improvement at comparable efficiency over its predecessors, the GGAs that currently dominate materials computation. Often, SCAN matches or improves on the accuracy of a computationally expensive hybrid functional, at almost-GGA cost. SCAN is therefore expected to have a broad impact on chemistry and materials science.

Intrinsic-density functionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engel, J.

2007-01-01

The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem and Kohn-Sham procedure are extended to functionals of the localized intrinsic density of a self-bound system such as a nucleus. After defining the intrinsic-density functional, we modify the usual Kohn-Sham procedure slightly to evaluate the mean-field approximation to the functional, and carefully describe the construction of the leading corrections for a system of fermions in one dimension with a spin-degeneracy equal to the number of particles N. Despite the fact that the corrections are complicated and nonlocal, we are able to construct a local Skyrme-like intrinsic-density functional that, while different from the exact functional, shares with it a minimum value equal to the exact ground-state energy at the exact ground-state intrinsic density, to next-to-leading order in 1/N. We briefly discuss implications for real Skyrme functionals

Density functional study of electronic structure, elastic and optical properties of MNH2 (M=Li, Na, K, Rb)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babu, K Ramesh; Vaitheeswaran, G

2014-01-01

We report a systematic first principles density functional study on the electronic structure, elastic and optical properties of nitrogen based solid hydrogen storage materials LiNH 2 , NaNH 2 , KNH 2 , and RbNH 2 . The ground state structural properties are calculated by using standard density functional theory, and also dispersion corrected density functional theory. We find that van der Waals interactions are dominant in LiNH 2 whereas they are relatively weak in other alkali metal amides. The calculated elastic constants show that all the compounds are mechanically stable and LiNH 2 is found to be a stiffer material among the alkali metal amides. The melting temperatures are calculated and follow the order RbNH 2 2 2 2 . The electronic band structure is calculated by using the Tran–Blaha modified Becke–Johnson potential and found that all the compounds are insulators, with a considerable band gap. The [NH 2 ] − derived states completely dominate in the entire valence band region while the metal atom states occupy the conduction band. The calculated band structure is used to analyze the different interband optical transitions occurring between valence and conduction bands. Our calculations show that these materials have considerable optical anisotropy. (paper)

The problem of the universal density functional and the density matrix functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobrov, V. B.; Trigger, S. A.

2013-01-01

The analysis in this paper shows that the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem is the constellation of two statements: (i) the mathematically rigorous Hohenberg-Kohn lemma, which demonstrates that the same ground-state density cannot correspond to two different potentials of an external field, and (ii) the hypothesis of the existence of the universal density functional. Based on the obtained explicit expression for the nonrel-ativistic particle energy in a local external field, we prove that the energy of the system of more than two non-interacting electrons cannot be a functional of the inhomogeneous density. This result is generalized to the system of interacting electrons. It means that the Hohenberg-Kohn lemma cannot provide justification of the universal density functional for fermions. At the same time, statements of the density functional theory remain valid when considering any number of noninteracting ground-state bosons due to the Bose condensation effect. In the framework of the density matrix functional theory, the hypothesis of the existence of the universal density matrix functional corresponds to the cases of noninteracting particles and to interaction in the Hartree-Fock approximation.

Dynamic density functional theory with hydrodynamic interactions: Theoretical development and application in the study of phase separation in gas-liquid systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikkinides, E. S.; Monson, P. A.

2015-01-01

Building on recent developments in dynamic density functional theory, we have developed a version of the theory that includes hydrodynamic interactions. This is achieved by combining the continuity and momentum equations eliminating velocity fields, so the resulting model equation contains only terms related to the fluid density and its time and spatial derivatives. The new model satisfies simultaneously continuity and momentum equations under the assumptions of constant dynamic or kinematic viscosity and small velocities and/or density gradients. We present applications of the theory to spinodal decomposition of subcritical temperatures for one-dimensional and three-dimensional density perturbations for both a van der Waals fluid and for a lattice gas model in mean field theory. In the latter case, the theory provides a hydrodynamic extension to the recently studied dynamic mean field theory. We find that the theory correctly describes the transition from diffusive phase separation at short times to hydrodynamic behaviour at long times

Adsorption and oxidation of SO2 by graphene oxides: A van der Waals density functional theory study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Huijuan; Cen, Wanglai; Liu, Jie; Guo, Jiaxiu; Yin, Huaqiang; Ning, Ping

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hydroxyl group enhances the adsorption of SO 2 on graphene oxide surface. • Hydroxyl group cuts down the barrier for the oxidation of SO 2 through H-bonding interaction. • A charge transfer channel, from surface hydroxyl group to adsorbed SO 2 molecule, and then from the adsorbed SO 2 to epoxy group, is found to underlie the promotion effects on the oxidation of SO 2 . - Abstract: Carbon materials have been used for low temperature (20–150 °C) catalytic removal of SO 2 from the coal-burned flue gases for a long time, but the mechanism at atomic level is still controversial. Density functional theory was used to investigate the adsorption and oxidation of SO 2 on elaborated graphene oxides (GOs) to discover the insights. It is found that the hydroxyl groups on GO surface possess bi-functional effects: both enhancing the adsorption of SO 2 through H-bonding interaction and reducing the reaction barrier for its oxidation to SO 3 . The promotion of oxidation is related to a pre-activation of the surface epoxy group. Based on Bader population, charge difference and electron localization function analysis, a charge transfer channel is proposed to explain the pre-activation

Electronic band structure of Two-Dimensional WS2/Graphene van der Waals Heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Henck, Hugo; Ben Aziza, Zeineb; Pierucci, Debora; Laourine, Feriel; Reale, Francesco; Palczynski, Pawel; Chaste, Julien; Silly, Mathieu G.; Bertran, François; Le Fèvre, Patrick; Lhuillier, Emmanuel; Wakamura, Taro; Mattevi, Cecilia; Rault, Julien E.; Calandra, Matteo; Ouerghi, Abdelkarim

2018-04-01

Combining single-layer two-dimensional semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with a graphene layer in van der Waals heterostructures offers an intriguing means of controlling the electronic properties through these heterostructures. Here, we report the electronic and structural properties of transferred single-layer W S2 on epitaxial graphene using micro-Raman spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results show good electronic properties as well as a well-defined band arising from the strong splitting of the single-layer W S2 valence band at the K points, with a maximum splitting of 0.44 eV. By comparing our DFT results with local and hybrid functionals, we find the top valence band of the experimental heterostructure is close to the calculations for suspended single-layer W S2 . Our results provide an important reference for future studies of electronic properties of W S2 and its applications in valleytronic devices.

Spin-Density Functionals from Current-Density Functional Theory and Vice Versa: A Road towards New Approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capelle, K.; Gross, E.

1997-01-01

It is shown that the exchange-correlation functional of spin-density functional theory is identical, on a certain set of densities, with the exchange-correlation functional of current-density functional theory. This rigorous connection is used to construct new approximations of the exchange-correlation functionals. These include a conceptually new generalized-gradient spin-density functional and a nonlocal current-density functional. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Phase diagram of Rydberg atoms with repulsive van der Waals interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osychenko, O. N.; Astrakharchik, G. E.; Boronat, J.; Lutsyshyn, Y.; Lozovik, Yu. E.

2011-01-01

We report a quantum Monte Carlo calculation of the phase diagram of bosons interacting with a repulsive inverse sixth power pair potential, a model for assemblies of Rydberg atoms in the local van der Waals blockade regime. The model can be parametrized in terms of just two parameters, the reduced density and temperature. Solidification happens to the fcc phase. At zero temperature, the transition density is found with the diffusion Monte Carlo method at density ρ=3.9 ((ℎ/2π) 2 /mC 6 ) 3/4 , where C 6 is the strength of the interaction. The solidification curve at nonzero temperature is studied with the path-integral Monte Carlo approach and is compared with transitions in corresponding harmonic and classical crystals. Relaxation mechanisms are considered in relation to present experiments.

Holographic Van der Waals phase transition of the higher-dimensional electrically charged hairy black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hui-Ling; Feng, Zhong-Wen; Zu, Xiao-Tao

2018-01-01

With motivation by holography, employing black hole entropy, two-point connection function and entanglement entropy, we show that, for the higher-dimensional Anti-de Sitter charged hairy black hole in the fixed charged ensemble, a Van der Waals-like phase transition can be observed. Furthermore, based on the Maxwell equal-area construction, we check numerically the equal-area law for a first order phase transition in order to further characterize the Van der Waals-like phase transition. (orig.)

Holographic Van der Waals phase transition of the higher-dimensional electrically charged hairy black hole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Hui-Ling [University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, School of Physical Electronics, Chengdu (China); Shenyang Normal University, College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenyang (China); Feng, Zhong-Wen [China West Normal University, College of Physics and Space Science, Nanchong (China); Zu, Xiao-Tao [University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, School of Physical Electronics, Chengdu (China)

2018-01-15

With motivation by holography, employing black hole entropy, two-point connection function and entanglement entropy, we show that, for the higher-dimensional Anti-de Sitter charged hairy black hole in the fixed charged ensemble, a Van der Waals-like phase transition can be observed. Furthermore, based on the Maxwell equal-area construction, we check numerically the equal-area law for a first order phase transition in order to further characterize the Van der Waals-like phase transition. (orig.)

Laboratory Density Functionals

OpenAIRE

Giraud, B. G.

2007-01-01

We compare several definitions of the density of a self-bound system, such as a nucleus, in relation with its center-of-mass zero-point motion. A trivial deconvolution relates the internal density to the density defined in the laboratory frame. This result is useful for the practical definition of density functionals.

Effect of van der Waals forces on thermal conductance at the interface of a single-wall carbon nanotube array and silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ya Feng

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to evaluate the effect of van der Waals forces among single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs on the interfacial thermal conductance between a SWNT array and silicon substrate. First, samples of SWNTs vertically aligned on silicon substrate are simulated, where both the number and arrangement of SWNTs are varied. Results reveal that the interfacial thermal conductance of a SWNT array/Si with van der Waals forces present is higher than when they are absent. To better understand how van der Waals forces affect heat transfer through the interface between SWNTs and silicon, further constructs of one SWNT surrounded by different numbers of other ones are studied, and the results show that the interfacial thermal conductance of the central SWNT increases with increasing van der Waals forces. Through analysis of the covalent bonds and vibrational density of states at the interface, we find that heat transfer across the interface is enhanced with a greater number of chemical bonds and that improved vibrational coupling of the two sides of the interface results in higher interfacial thermal conductance. Van der Waals forces stimulate heat transfer at the interface.

Direction-specific van der Waals attraction between rutile TiO ₂ nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xin; He, Yang; Sushko, Maria L.; Liu, Jia; Luo, Langli; De Yoreo, James J.; Mao, Scott X.; Wang, Chongmin; Rosso, Kevin M.

2017-04-27

Mutual lattice orientations dictate the types and magnitudes of forces between crystalline particles. When lattice polarizability is anisotropic, the van der Waals dispersion attraction can, in principle, contribute to this direction dependence. Here we report direct measurement of this attraction between rutile nanocrystals, as a function of their mutual orientation and surface hydration extent. At tens of nanometers of separation the attraction is weak and shows no dependence on azimuthal alignment nor surface hydration. At separations of approximately one hydration layer the attraction is strongly dependent on azimuthal alignment, and systematically decreases as intervening water density increases. Measured forces are in close agreement with predictions from Lifshitz theory, and show that dispersion forces are capable of generating a torque between particles interacting in solution and between grains in materials.

External field as the functional of inhomogeneous density and the density matrix functional approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bobrov, V.B.; Trigger, S.A.; Vlasov, Y.P.

2012-01-01

Based on the Hohenberg-Kohn lemma and the hypotheses of the density functional existence for the external-field potential, it is shown that the strict result of the density functional theory is the equation of the external-field potential as the density functional. This result leads to the

Orbital functionals in density-matrix- and current-density-functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helbig, N

2006-05-15

Density-Functional Theory (DFT), although widely used and very successful in the calculation of several observables, fails to correctly describe strongly correlated materials. In the first part of this work we, therefore, introduce reduced-densitymatrix- functional theory (RDMFT) which is one possible way to treat electron correlation beyond DFT. Within this theory the one-body reduced density matrix (1- RDM) is used as the basic variable. Our main interest is the calculation of the fundamental gap which proves very problematic within DFT. In order to calculate the fundamental gap we generalize RDMFT to fractional particle numbers M by describing the system as an ensemble of an N and an N+1 particle system (with N{<=}M{<=}N+1). For each fixed particle number, M, the total energy is minimized with respect to the natural orbitals and their occupation numbers. This leads to the total energy as a function of M. The derivative of this function with respect to the particle number has a discontinuity at integer particle number which is identical to the gap. In addition, we investigate the necessary and sufficient conditions for the 1- RDM of a system with fractional particle number to be N-representable. Numerical results are presented for alkali atoms, small molecules, and periodic systems. Another problem within DFT is the description of non-relativistic many-electron systems in the presence of magnetic fields. It requires the paramagnetic current density and the spin magnetization to be used as basic variables besides the electron density. However, electron-gas-based functionals of current-spin-density-functional Theory (CSDFT) exhibit derivative discontinuities as a function of the magnetic field whenever a new Landau level is occupied, which makes them difficult to use in practice. Since the appearance of Landau levels is, intrinsically, an orbital effect it is appealing to use orbital-dependent functionals. We have developed a CSDFT version of the optimized

Is there a Difference in Van Der Waals Interactions between Rare Gas Atoms Adsorbed on Metallic and Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, De-Li [Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering; Mandeltort, Lynn [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Saidi, Wissam A. [Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering; Yates, John T. [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Cole, Milton W. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept of Physics; Johnson, J. Karl [Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering; National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)

2013-03-01

Differences in polarizabilities of metallic (M) and semiconducting (S) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) might give rise to differences in adsorption potentials. We show from experiments and van der Waals-corrected density functional theory (DFT) that binding energies of Xe adsorbed on M- and S-SWNTs are nearly identical. Temperature programmed desorption of Xe on purified M- and S-SWNTs give similar peak temperatures, indicating that desorption kinetics and binding energies are independent of the type of SWNT. Binding energies computed from vdW-corrected DFT are in good agreement with experiments.

van der Waals criticality in AdS black holes: A phenomenological study

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Krishnakanta; Majhi, Bibhas Ranjan; Samanta, Saurav

2017-10-01

Anti-de Sitter black holes exhibit van der Waals-type phase transition. In the extended phase-space formalism, the critical exponents for any spacetime metric are identical to the standard ones. Motivated by this fact, we give a general expression for the Helmholtz free energy near the critical point, which correctly reproduces these exponents. The idea is similar to the Landau model, which gives a phenomenological description of the usual second-order phase transition. Here, two main inputs are taken into account for the analysis: (a) black holes should have van der Waals-like isotherms, and (b) free energy can be expressed solely as a function of thermodynamic volume and horizon temperature. Resulting analysis shows that the form of Helmholtz free energy correctly encapsulates the features of the Landau function. We also discuss the isolated critical point accompanied by nonstandard values of critical exponents. The whole formalism is then extended to two other criticalities, namely, Y -X and T -S (based on the standard; i.e., nonextended phase space), where X and Y are generalized force and displacement, whereas T and S are the horizon temperature and entropy. We observe that in the former case Gibbs free energy plays the role of Landau function, whereas in the later case, that role is played by the internal energy (here, it is the black hole mass). Our analysis shows that, although the existence of a van der Waals phase transition depends on the explicit form of the black hole metric, the values of the critical exponents are universal in nature.

Local-scaling density-functional method: Intraorbit and interorbit density optimizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koga, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Ludena, E.V.

1991-01-01

The recently proposed local-scaling density-functional theory provides us with a practical method for the direct variational determination of the electron density function ρ(r). The structure of ''orbits,'' which ensures the one-to-one correspondence between the electron density ρ(r) and the N-electron wave function Ψ({r k }), is studied in detail. For the realization of the local-scaling density-functional calculations, procedures for intraorbit and interorbit optimizations of the electron density function are proposed. These procedures are numerically illustrated for the helium atom in its ground state at the beyond-Hartree-Fock level

Time-dependent density functional theory for the charging kinetics of electric double layer containing room-temperature ionic liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Cheng; Zhao, Shuangliang; Liu, Honglai; Wu, Jianzhong

2016-11-28

Understanding the charging kinetics of electric double layers is of fundamental importance for the design and development of novel electrochemical devices such as supercapacitors and field-effect transistors. In this work, we study the dynamic behavior of room-temperature ionic liquids using a classical time-dependent density functional theory that accounts for the molecular excluded volume effects, the electrostatic correlations, and the dispersion forces. While the conventional models predict a monotonic increase of the surface charge with time upon application of an electrode voltage, our results show that dispersion between ions results in a non-monotonic increase of the surface charge with the duration of charging. Furthermore, we investigate the effects of van der Waals attraction between electrode/ionic-liquid interactions on the charging processes.

Adsorption and oxidation of SO{sub 2} by graphene oxides: A van der Waals density functional theory study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Huijuan [Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500 (China); Cen, Wanglai, E-mail: cenwanglai@scu.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065 (China); Liu, Jie [Department of Environment Engineering, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610025 (China); Guo, Jiaxiu [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065 (China); Yin, Huaqiang [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065 (China); Institute of New Energy and Low Carbon Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Ning, Ping, E-mail: ningping58@sina.com [Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500 (China)

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hydroxyl group enhances the adsorption of SO{sub 2} on graphene oxide surface. • Hydroxyl group cuts down the barrier for the oxidation of SO{sub 2} through H-bonding interaction. • A charge transfer channel, from surface hydroxyl group to adsorbed SO{sub 2} molecule, and then from the adsorbed SO{sub 2} to epoxy group, is found to underlie the promotion effects on the oxidation of SO{sub 2}. - Abstract: Carbon materials have been used for low temperature (20–150 °C) catalytic removal of SO{sub 2} from the coal-burned flue gases for a long time, but the mechanism at atomic level is still controversial. Density functional theory was used to investigate the adsorption and oxidation of SO{sub 2} on elaborated graphene oxides (GOs) to discover the insights. It is found that the hydroxyl groups on GO surface possess bi-functional effects: both enhancing the adsorption of SO{sub 2} through H-bonding interaction and reducing the reaction barrier for its oxidation to SO{sub 3}. The promotion of oxidation is related to a pre-activation of the surface epoxy group. Based on Bader population, charge difference and electron localization function analysis, a charge transfer channel is proposed to explain the pre-activation.

Average and extreme multi-atom Van der Waals interactions: Strong coupling of multi-atom Van der Waals interactions with covalent bonding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Finkelstein Alexei V

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prediction of ligand binding or protein structure requires very accurate force field potentials – even small errors in force field potentials can make a 'wrong' structure (from the billions possible more stable than the single, 'correct' one. However, despite huge efforts to optimize them, currently-used all-atom force fields are still not able, in a vast majority of cases, even to keep a protein molecule in its native conformation in the course of molecular dynamics simulations or to bring an approximate, homology-based model of protein structure closer to its native conformation. Results A strict analysis shows that a specific coupling of multi-atom Van der Waals interactions with covalent bonding can, in extreme cases, increase (or decrease the interaction energy by about 20–40% at certain angles between the direction of interaction and the covalent bond. It is also shown that on average multi-body effects decrease the total Van der Waals energy in proportion to the square root of the electronic component of dielectric permittivity corresponding to dipole-dipole interactions at small distances, where Van der Waals interactions take place. Conclusion The study shows that currently-ignored multi-atom Van der Waals interactions can, in certain instances, lead to significant energy effects, comparable to those caused by the replacement of atoms (for instance, C by N in conventional pairwise Van der Waals interactions.

Characterization of rarefaction waves in van der Waals fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, Albert; Barnard, John J.

2015-12-01

We calculate the isentropic evolution of an instantaneously heated foil, assuming a van der Waals equation of state with the Maxwell construction. The analysis by Yuen and Barnard [Phys. Rev. E 92, 033019 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevE.92.033019] is extended for the particular case of three degrees of freedom. We assume heating to temperatures in the vicinity of the critical point. The self-similar profiles of the rarefaction waves describing the evolution of the foil display plateaus in density and temperature due to a phase transition from the single-phase to the two-phase regime. The hydrodynamic equations are expressed in a dimensionless form and the solutions form a set of universal curves, depending on a single parameter: the dimensionless initial entropy. We characterize the rarefaction waves by calculating how the plateau length, density, pressure, temperature, velocity, internal energy, and sound speed vary with dimensionless initial entropy.

Molecular surface mesh generation by filtering electron density map.

Science.gov (United States)

Giard, Joachim; Macq, Benoît

2010-01-01

Bioinformatics applied to macromolecules are now widely spread and in continuous expansion. In this context, representing external molecular surface such as the Van der Waals Surface or the Solvent Excluded Surface can be useful for several applications. We propose a fast and parameterizable algorithm giving good visual quality meshes representing molecular surfaces. It is obtained by isosurfacing a filtered electron density map. The density map is the result of the maximum of Gaussian functions placed around atom centers. This map is filtered by an ideal low-pass filter applied on the Fourier Transform of the density map. Applying the marching cubes algorithm on the inverse transform provides a mesh representation of the molecular surface.

Molecular Surface Mesh Generation by Filtering Electron Density Map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joachim Giard

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Bioinformatics applied to macromolecules are now widely spread and in continuous expansion. In this context, representing external molecular surface such as the Van der Waals Surface or the Solvent Excluded Surface can be useful for several applications. We propose a fast and parameterizable algorithm giving good visual quality meshes representing molecular surfaces. It is obtained by isosurfacing a filtered electron density map. The density map is the result of the maximum of Gaussian functions placed around atom centers. This map is filtered by an ideal low-pass filter applied on the Fourier Transform of the density map. Applying the marching cubes algorithm on the inverse transform provides a mesh representation of the molecular surface.

Wave-function functionals for the density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slamet, Marlina; Pan Xiaoyin; Sahni, Viraht

2011-01-01

We extend the idea of the constrained-search variational method for the construction of wave-function functionals ψ[χ] of functions χ. The search is constrained to those functions χ such that ψ[χ] reproduces the density ρ(r) while simultaneously leading to an upper bound to the energy. The functionals are thereby normalized and automatically satisfy the electron-nucleus coalescence condition. The functionals ψ[χ] are also constructed to satisfy the electron-electron coalescence condition. The method is applied to the ground state of the helium atom to construct functionals ψ[χ] that reproduce the density as given by the Kinoshita correlated wave function. The expectation of single-particle operators W=Σ i r i n , n=-2,-1,1,2, W=Σ i δ(r i ) are exact, as must be the case. The expectations of the kinetic energy operator W=-(1/2)Σ i ∇ i 2 , the two-particle operators W=Σ n u n , n=-2,-1,1,2, where u=|r i -r j |, and the energy are accurate. We note that the construction of such functionals ψ[χ] is an application of the Levy-Lieb constrained-search definition of density functional theory. It is thereby possible to rigorously determine which functional ψ[χ] is closer to the true wave function.

Density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, M.P.

1984-07-01

The state of the art of the density functional formalism (DFT) is reviewed. The theory is quantum statistical in nature; its simplest version is the well-known Thomas-Fermi theory. The DFT is a powerful formalism in which one can treat the effect of interactions in inhomogeneous systems. After some introductory material, the DFT is outlined from the two basic theorems, and various generalizations of the theorems appropriate to several physical situations are pointed out. Next, various approximations to the density functionals are presented and some practical schemes, discussed; the approximations include an electron gas of almost constant density and an electron gas of slowly varying density. Then applications of DFT in various diverse areas of physics (atomic systems, plasmas, liquids, nuclear matter) are mentioned, and its strengths and weaknesses are pointed out. In conclusion, more recent developments of DFT are indicated

Van der Waals coefficients beyond the classical shell model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tao, Jianmin, E-mail: jianmint@sas.upenn.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323 (United States); Fang, Yuan; Hao, Pan [Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States); Scuseria, G. E. [Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, USA and Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Ruzsinszky, Adrienn; Perdew, John P. [Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 (United States)

2015-01-14

Van der Waals (vdW) coefficients can be accurately generated and understood by modelling the dynamic multipole polarizability of each interacting object. Accurate static polarizabilities are the key to accurate dynamic polarizabilities and vdW coefficients. In this work, we present and study in detail a hollow-sphere model for the dynamic multipole polarizability proposed recently by two of the present authors (JT and JPP) to simulate the vdW coefficients for inhomogeneous systems that allow for a cavity. The inputs to this model are the accurate static multipole polarizabilities and the electron density. A simplification of the full hollow-sphere model, the single-frequency approximation (SFA), circumvents the need for a detailed electron density and for a double numerical integration over space. We find that the hollow-sphere model in SFA is not only accurate for nanoclusters and cage molecules (e.g., fullerenes) but also yields vdW coefficients among atoms, fullerenes, and small clusters in good agreement with expensive time-dependent density functional calculations. However, the classical shell model (CSM), which inputs the static dipole polarizabilities and estimates the static higher-order multipole polarizabilities therefrom, is accurate for the higher-order vdW coefficients only when the interacting objects are large. For the lowest-order vdW coefficient C{sub 6}, SFA and CSM are exactly the same. The higher-order (C{sub 8} and C{sub 10}) terms of the vdW expansion can be almost as important as the C{sub 6} term in molecular crystals. Application to a variety of clusters shows that there is strong non-additivity of the long-range vdW interactions between nanoclusters.

Diffusion quantum Monte Carlo and density functional calculations of the structural stability of bilayer arsenene

Science.gov (United States)

Kadioglu, Yelda; Santana, Juan A.; Özaydin, H. Duygu; Ersan, Fatih; Aktürk, O. Üzengi; Aktürk, Ethem; Reboredo, Fernando A.

2018-06-01

We have studied the structural stability of monolayer and bilayer arsenene (As) in the buckled (b) and washboard (w) phases with diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (DMC) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. DMC yields cohesive energies of 2.826(2) eV/atom for monolayer b-As and 2.792(3) eV/atom for w-As. In the case of bilayer As, DMC and DFT predict that AA-stacking is the more stable form of b-As, while AB is the most stable form of w-As. The DMC layer-layer binding energies for b-As-AA and w-As-AB are 30(1) and 53(1) meV/atom, respectively. The interlayer separations were estimated with DMC at 3.521(1) Å for b-As-AA and 3.145(1) Å for w-As-AB. A comparison of DMC and DFT results shows that the van der Waals density functional method yields energetic properties of arsenene close to DMC, while the DFT + D3 method closely reproduced the geometric properties from DMC. The electronic properties of monolayer and bilayer arsenene were explored with various DFT methods. The bandgap values vary significantly with the DFT method, but the results are generally qualitatively consistent. We expect the present work to be useful for future experiments attempting to prepare multilayer arsenene and for further development of DFT methods for weakly bonded systems.

Droplet spreading driven by van der Waals force: a molecular dynamics study

KAUST Repository

Wu, Congmin

2010-07-07

The dynamics of droplet spreading is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations for two immiscible fluids of equal density and viscosity. All the molecular interactions are modeled by truncated Lennard-Jones potentials and a long-range van der Waals force is introduced to act on the wetting fluid. By gradually increasing the coupling constant in the attractive van der Waals interaction between the wetting fluid and the substrate, we observe a transition in the initial stage of spreading. There exists a critical value of the coupling constant, above which the spreading is pioneered by a precursor film. In particular, the dynamically determined critical value quantitatively agrees with that determined by the energy criterion that the spreading coefficient equals zero. The latter separates partial wetting from complete wetting. In the regime of complete wetting, the radius of the spreading droplet varies with time as R(t) ∼ √t, a behavior also found in molecular dynamics simulations where the wetting dynamics is driven by the short-range Lennard-Jones interaction between liquid and solid. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.; Rodriguez-Lopez, P.; Rodriguez, A. W.; Podgornik, R.

2016-10-01

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. Such interactions are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insights into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. This review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. The outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.

Modified Van der Waals equation and law of corresponding states

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Wei; Xiao, Changming; Zhu, Yongkai

2017-04-01

It is well known that the Van der Waals equation is a modification of the ideal gas law, yet it can be used to describe both gas and liquid, and some important messages can be obtained from this state equation. However, the Van der Waals equation is not a precise state equation, and it does not give a good description of the law of corresponding states. In this paper, we expand the Van der Waals equation into its Taylor's series form, and then modify the fourth order expansion by changing the constant Virial coefficients into their analogous ones. Via this way, a more precise result about the law of corresponding states has been obtained, and the law of corresponding states can then be expressed as: in terms of the reduced variables, all fluids should obey the same equation with the analogous Virial coefficients. In addition, the system of 3 He with quantum effects has also been taken into consideration with our modified Van der Waals equation, and it is found that, for a normal system without quantum effect, the modification on ideal gas law from the Van der Waals equation is more significant than the real case, however, for a system with quantum effect, this modification is less significant than the real case, thus a factor is introduced in this paper to weaken or strengthen the modification of the Van der Waals equation, respectively.

Holographic Van der Waals-like phase transition in the Gauss–Bonnet gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Song, E-mail: hesong17@gmail.com [Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Golm (Germany); State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Li, Li-Fang, E-mail: lilf@itp.ac.cn [Center for Space Science and Applied Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Zeng, Xiao-Xiong, E-mail: xxzeng@itp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); School of Material Science and Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074 (China)

2017-02-15

The Van der Waals-like phase transition is observed in temperature–thermal entropy plane in spherically symmetric charged Gauss–Bonnet–AdS black hole background. In terms of AdS/CFT, the non-local observables such as holographic entanglement entropy, Wilson loop, and two point correlation function of very heavy operators in the field theory dual to spherically symmetric charged Gauss–Bonnet–AdS black hole have been investigated. All of them exhibit the Van der Waals-like phase transition for a fixed charge parameter or Gauss–Bonnet parameter in such gravity background. Further, with choosing various values of charge or Gauss–Bonnet parameter, the equal area law and the critical exponent of the heat capacity are found to be consistent with phase structures in temperature–thermal entropy plane.

Density functionals from deep learning

OpenAIRE

McMahon, Jeffrey M.

2016-01-01

Density-functional theory is a formally exact description of a many-body quantum system in terms of its density; in practice, however, approximations to the universal density functional are required. In this work, a model based on deep learning is developed to approximate this functional. Deep learning allows computational models that are capable of naturally discovering intricate structure in large and/or high-dimensional data sets, with multiple levels of abstraction. As no assumptions are ...

Electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and optical properties of a novel van der Waals semiconductor heterostructure: InGaSe2

Science.gov (United States)

Ibarra-Hernández, Wilfredo; Elsayed, Hannan; Romero, Aldo H.; Bautista-Hernández, Alejandro; Olguín, Daniel; Cantarero, Andrés

2017-07-01

There is a growing interest in the property dependence of transition metal dichalcogenides as a function of the number of layers and formation of heterostructures. Depending on the stacking, doping, edge effects, and interlayer distance, the properties can be modified, which opens the door to novel applications that require a detailed understanding of the atomic mechanisms responsible for those changes. In this work, we analyze the electronic properties and lattice dynamics of a heterostructure constructed by simultaneously stacking InSe layers and GaSe layers bounded by van der Waals forces. We have assumed the same space group of GaSe, P 6 ¯m 2 as it becomes the lower energy configuration for other considered stackings. The structural, vibrational, and optical properties of this layered compound have been calculated using density functional theory. The structure is shown to be energetically, thermally, and elastically stable, which indicates its possible chemical synthesis. A correlation of the theoretical physical properties with respect to its parent compounds is extensively discussed. One of the most interesting properties is the low thermal conductivity, which indicates its potential use in thermolectric applications. Additionally, we discuss the possibility of using electronic gap engineering methods, which can help us to tune the optical emission in a variable range close to that used in the field of biological systems (NIR). Finally, the importance of considering properly van der Waals dispersion in layered materials has been emphasized as included in the exchange correlation functional. As for the presence of atoms with important spin-orbit coupling, relativistic corrections have been included.

Van der Waals cohesion and plasmon excitations in C60 fullerite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambin, P.; Lucas, A.A.

1993-01-01

The Van der Waals cohesive energy of C 60 fullerite is evaluated from the zero-point energy of multipole plasmons fluctuating on the highly-polarizable Bucky balls. These hollow molecules are treated as dielectric shells. The shell material is an isotropic continuum with a dielectric function designed to exhibit the plasmon resonances observed in other forms of solid carbon in the ultraviolet. (orig.)

Structure and Stability of Molecular Crystals with Many-Body Dispersion-Inclusive Density Functional Tight Binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortazavi, Majid; Brandenburg, Jan Gerit; Maurer, Reinhard J; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

2018-01-18

Accurate prediction of structure and stability of molecular crystals is crucial in materials science and requires reliable modeling of long-range dispersion interactions. Semiempirical electronic structure methods are computationally more efficient than their ab initio counterparts, allowing structure sampling with significant speedups. We combine the Tkatchenko-Scheffler van der Waals method (TS) and the many-body dispersion method (MBD) with third-order density functional tight-binding (DFTB3) via a charge population-based method. We find an overall good performance for the X23 benchmark database of molecular crystals, despite an underestimation of crystal volume that can be traced to the DFTB parametrization. We achieve accurate lattice energy predictions with DFT+MBD energetics on top of vdW-inclusive DFTB3 structures, resulting in a speedup of up to 3000 times compared with a full DFT treatment. This suggests that vdW-inclusive DFTB3 can serve as a viable structural prescreening tool in crystal structure prediction.

The stability of DOTA-chelated radiopharmaceuticals within 225Ac decay pathway studied with density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Karolak, Aleksandra; Khabibullin, Artem; Budzevich, Mikalai; Martinez, M.; Doliganski, Michael; McLaughlin, Mark; Woods, Lilia; Morse, David

Ligand structures encapsulating metal ions play a central role as contrast agents in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or as agents delivering toxic cargo directly to tumor cells in targeted cancer therapy. The structural stability and interaction with solutions of such complexes are the key elements in understanding the foundation of delivery process. We present a comparative study for the 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelated to radioactive isotopes of 225Ac, 221Fr, 217At, 213Bi and a control 68Gd. Using density functional theory methods we investigate the structural stability of complexes for cancer therapy including binding energies, charge transfer, electron densities. The van der Waals interactions are included in the simulations to take into account weak dispersion forces present in such structures. Our results reveal that Ac-DOTA, Bi-DOTA and Gd-DOTA are the most stable complexes in the group. We also show that the water environment is a key ingredient for the structural coordination of the DOTA structures. Support from the US Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02-06ER46297 is acknowledged.

Van der Waals stacks of few-layer h-AlN with graphene: an ab initio study of structural, interaction and electronic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dos Santos, Renato B; Mota, F de Brito; Rivelino, R; Kakanakova-Georgieva, A; Gueorguiev, G K

2016-01-01

Graphite-like hexagonal AlN (h-AlN) multilayers have been experimentally manifested and theoretically modeled. The development of any functional electronics applications of h-AlN would most certainly require its integration with other layered materials, particularly graphene. Here, by employing vdW-corrected density functional theory calculations, we investigate structure, interaction energy, and electronic properties of van der Waals stacking sequences of few-layer h-AlN with graphene. We find that the presence of a template such as graphene induces enough interlayer charge separation in h-AlN, favoring a graphite-like stacking formation. We also find that the interface dipole, calculated per unit cell of the stacks, tends to increase with the number of stacked layers of h-AlN and graphene. (paper)

Non-covalent functionalization of single wall carbon nanotubes and graphene by a conjugated polymer

KAUST Repository

Jiwuer, Jilili

2014-07-07

We report first-principles calculations on the binding of poly[(9,9-bis-(6-bromohexylfluorene-2,7-diyl)-co-(benzene-1,4-diyl)] to a (8,0) single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and to graphene. Considering different relative orientations of the subsystems, we find for the generalized gradient approximation a non-binding state, whereas the local density approximation predicts reasonable binding energies. The results coincide after inclusion of van der Waals corrections, which demonstrates a weak interaction between the polymer and SWCNT/graphene, mostly of van der Waals type. Accordingly, the density of states shows essentially no hybridization. The physisorption mechanism explains recent experimental observations and suggests that the conjugated polymer can be used for non-covalent functionalization.

Non-covalent functionalization of single wall carbon nanotubes and graphene by a conjugated polymer

KAUST Repository

Jiwuer, Jilili; Abdurahman, Ayjamal; Gü lseren, Oğuz; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2014-01-01

We report first-principles calculations on the binding of poly[(9,9-bis-(6-bromohexylfluorene-2,7-diyl)-co-(benzene-1,4-diyl)] to a (8,0) single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and to graphene. Considering different relative orientations of the subsystems, we find for the generalized gradient approximation a non-binding state, whereas the local density approximation predicts reasonable binding energies. The results coincide after inclusion of van der Waals corrections, which demonstrates a weak interaction between the polymer and SWCNT/graphene, mostly of van der Waals type. Accordingly, the density of states shows essentially no hybridization. The physisorption mechanism explains recent experimental observations and suggests that the conjugated polymer can be used for non-covalent functionalization.

Correction for dispersion and Coulombic interactions in molecular clusters with density functional derived methods: Application to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Rapacioli, Mathias; Spiegelman, Fernand; Talbi, Dahbia; Mineva, Tzonka; Goursot, Annick; Heine, Thomas; Seifert, Gotthard

2009-06-01

The density functional based tight binding (DFTB) is a semiempirical method derived from the density functional theory (DFT). It inherits therefore its problems in treating van der Waals clusters. A major error comes from dispersion forces, which are poorly described by commonly used DFT functionals, but which can be accounted for by an a posteriori treatment DFT-D. This correction is used for DFTB. The self-consistent charge (SCC) DFTB is built on Mulliken charges which are known to give a poor representation of Coulombic intermolecular potential. We propose to calculate this potential using the class IV/charge model 3 definition of atomic charges. The self-consistent calculation of these charges is introduced in the SCC procedure and corresponding nuclear forces are derived. Benzene dimer is then studied as a benchmark system with this corrected DFTB (c-DFTB-D) method, but also, for comparison, with the DFT-D. Both methods give similar results and are in agreement with references calculations (CCSD(T) and symmetry adapted perturbation theory) calculations. As a first application, pyrene dimer is studied with the c-DFTB-D and DFT-D methods. For coronene clusters, only the c-DFTB-D approach is used, which finds the sandwich configurations to be more stable than the T-shaped ones.

A van der Waals DFT study of PtH_2 systems absorbed on pristine and defective graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Corral, Ignacio; Piriz, Sebastián; Faccio, Ricardo; Juan, Alfredo; Avena, Marcelo

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We performed DFT calculations including van der Waals interactions. • Kubas-type Pt-H2 complex is stable on defective graphene. • Carbon vacancy decreases the reactivity of the metal decoration. • The interaction between σ-H and π-C states favors the Kubas-type complex. - Abstract: We used a density functional that incorporates van der Waals interactions to study hydrogen adsorption onto Pt atoms attached to carbon-vacancies on graphene layers, considering molecular and dissociated hydrogen-platinum coordination structures. PtH_2 complexes adsorbed on several sites of pristine graphene were also studied for comparison. Our results indicate that both a Kubas-type dihydrogen complex and a classic hydride without H−H bond are the preferential PtH_2 systems on the vacancy site of graphene. In contrast, the Kubas complex is unstable onto pristine graphene and the hydride is obtained at all adsorption sites. Our simulations suggest that the C-vacancy decreases the reactivity of the metal decoration, allowing a non-dissociative hydrogen adsorption. The H_2 molecule is oriented almost perpendicular to the outermost C−Pt bond, interacting also with the graphene surface through σ-H and π-C states. This stabilization of the Kubas-type complex could play a very important role for hydrogen storage in Pt-decorated carbon adsorbents with vacancies.

Multicomponent density functional theory embedding formulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Culpitt, Tanner; Brorsen, Kurt R.; Pak, Michael V.; Hammes-Schiffer, Sharon, E-mail: shs3@illinois.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Ave, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

2016-07-28

Multicomponent density functional theory (DFT) methods have been developed to treat two types of particles, such as electrons and nuclei, quantum mechanically at the same level. In the nuclear-electronic orbital (NEO) approach, all electrons and select nuclei, typically key protons, are treated quantum mechanically. For multicomponent DFT methods developed within the NEO framework, electron-proton correlation functionals based on explicitly correlated wavefunctions have been designed and used in conjunction with well-established electronic exchange-correlation functionals. Herein a general theory for multicomponent embedded DFT is developed to enable the accurate treatment of larger systems. In the general theory, the total electronic density is separated into two subsystem densities, denoted as regular and special, and different electron-proton correlation functionals are used for these two electronic densities. In the specific implementation, the special electron density is defined in terms of spatially localized Kohn-Sham electronic orbitals, and electron-proton correlation is included only for the special electron density. The electron-proton correlation functional depends on only the special electron density and the proton density, whereas the electronic exchange-correlation functional depends on the total electronic density. This scheme includes the essential electron-proton correlation, which is a relatively local effect, as well as the electronic exchange-correlation for the entire system. This multicomponent DFT-in-DFT embedding theory is applied to the HCN and FHF{sup −} molecules in conjunction with two different electron-proton correlation functionals and three different electronic exchange-correlation functionals. The results illustrate that this approach provides qualitatively accurate nuclear densities in a computationally tractable manner. The general theory is also easily extended to other types of partitioning schemes for multicomponent systems.

Pyridine adsorption and diffusion on Pt(111) investigated with density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolsbjerg, Esben L.; Groves, Michael N.; Hammer, Bjørk

2016-01-01

The adsorption, diffusion, and dissociation of pyridine, C 5 H 5 N, on Pt(111) are investigated with van der Waals-corrected density functional theory. An elaborate search for local minima in the adsorption potential energy landscape reveals that the intact pyridine adsorbs with the aromatic ring parallel to the surface. Piecewise interconnections of the local minima in the energy landscape reveal that the most favourable diffusion path for pyridine has a barrier of 0.53 eV. In the preferred path, the pyridine remains parallel to the surface while performing small single rotational steps with a carbon-carbon double bond hinged above a single Pt atom. The origin of the diffusion pathway is discussed in terms of the C 2 –Pt π-bond being stronger than the corresponding CN–Pt π-bond. The energy barrier and reaction enthalpy for dehydrogenation of adsorbed pyridine into an adsorbed, upright bound α-pyridyl species are calculated to 0.71 eV and 0.18 eV, respectively (both zero-point energy corrected). The calculations are used to rationalize previous experimental observations from the literature for pyridine on Pt(111).

On the dynamic London-van der Waals interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman, A.

2003-08-01

We present a theory of atomic reflection by evanescent waves in the quantized electromagnetic field vacuum that yields an analytical expression for the radiation pressure resulting from the combined effect of the evanescent field and spontaneous emission. The dynamic London-van der Waals potential between atoms and a dielectric wall is introduced as the effective interaction between the induced oscillating atomic dipole and its dipole image. Dissipative effects due to the imaginary part of the London-van der Waals potential are predicted. (author)

Cl-intercalated graphene on SiC: Influence of van der Waals forces

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Yingchun; Zhu, Zhiyong; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

The atomic and electronic structures of Cl-intercalated epitaxial graphene on SiC are studied by first-principles calculations. By increasing the Cl concentration, doping levels from n-type to slightly p-type are achieved on the SiC(0001) surface, while a wider range of doping levels is possible on the SiC(0001̄) surface. We find that the Cl atoms prefer bonding to the substrate rather than to the graphene. By varying the Cl concentration the doping level can be tailored. Consideration of van der Waals forces improves the distance between the graphene and the substrate as well as the binding energy, but it is not essential for the formation energy. For understanding the doping mechanism the introduction of non-local van der Waals contributions to the exchange correlation functional is shown to be essential. Copyright © EPLA, 2013.

Revisiting van der Waals like behavior of f(R AdS black holes via the two point correlation function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie-Xiong Mo

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Van der Waals like behavior of f(R AdS black holes is revisited via two point correlation function, which is dual to the geodesic length in the bulk. The equation of motion constrained by the boundary condition is solved numerically and both the effect of boundary region size and f(R gravity are probed. Moreover, an analogous specific heat related to δL is introduced. It is shown that the T−δL graphs of f(R AdS black holes exhibit reverse van der Waals like behavior just as the T−S graphs do. Free energy analysis is carried out to determine the first order phase transition temperature T⁎ and the unstable branch in T−δL curve is removed by a bar T=T⁎. It is shown that the first order phase transition temperature is the same at least to the order of 10−10 for different choices of the parameter b although the values of free energy vary with b. Our result further supports the former finding that charged f(R AdS black holes behave much like RN-AdS black holes. We also check the analogous equal area law numerically and find that the relative errors for both the cases θ0=0.1 and θ0=0.2 are small enough. The fitting functions between log⁡|T−Tc| and log⁡|δL−δLc| for both cases are also obtained. It is shown that the slope is around 3, implying that the critical exponent is about 2/3. This result is in accordance with those in former literatures of specific heat related to the thermal entropy or entanglement entropy.

Evidence for van der Waals adhesion in gecko setae.

Science.gov (United States)

Autumn, Kellar; Sitti, Metin; Liang, Yiching A; Peattie, Anne M; Hansen, Wendy R; Sponberg, Simon; Kenny, Thomas W; Fearing, Ronald; Israelachvili, Jacob N; Full, Robert J

2002-09-17

Geckos have evolved one of the most versatile and effective adhesives known. The mechanism of dry adhesion in the millions of setae on the toes of geckos has been the focus of scientific study for over a century. We provide the first direct experimental evidence for dry adhesion of gecko setae by van der Waals forces, and reject the use of mechanisms relying on high surface polarity, including capillary adhesion. The toes of live Tokay geckos were highly hydrophobic, and adhered equally well to strongly hydrophobic and strongly hydrophilic, polarizable surfaces. Adhesion of a single isolated gecko seta was equally effective on the hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces of a microelectro-mechanical systems force sensor. A van der Waals mechanism implies that the remarkable adhesive properties of gecko setae are merely a result of the size and shape of the tips, and are not strongly affected by surface chemistry. Theory predicts greater adhesive forces simply from subdividing setae to increase surface density, and suggests a possible design principle underlying the repeated, convergent evolution of dry adhesive microstructures in gecko, anoles, skinks, and insects. Estimates using a standard adhesion model and our measured forces come remarkably close to predicting the tip size of Tokay gecko seta. We verified the dependence on size and not surface type by using physical models of setal tips nanofabricated from two different materials. Both artificial setal tips stuck as predicted and provide a path to manufacturing the first dry, adhesive microstructures.

Orientation of rod molecules in selective slits: a density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xiaofei; Cao Dapeng; Wang Wenchuan

2008-01-01

A density functional theory (DFT) is used to investigate molecular orientation of rod fluids in selective slits. The DFT approach combines a modified fundamental measure theory (MFMT) for excluded-volume effect, the first-order thermodynamics perturbation theory for chain connectivity and the mean-field approximation for van der Waals (vdW) attraction. To study the molecular orientation, the intramolecular bonding orientation function is introduced into the DFT. First, we investigate the orientation of the surfactant-like rod molecule of AB 6 (i.e. ABBBBBB) in a nanoslit of H 20σ, where the walls selectively adsorb segment 'A'. It is observed that, with the increase of the surface energy of the wall to head segment (i.e. 'A' segment) of the rod molecule, the rod molecules adsorbed on the wall present the perpendicular orientation gradually, and assemble into a smectic-A-like monolayer finally. In addition, we also explore the molecular orientation of the rods with both end segments preferring to the wall, i.e. AB 8 A and AB 7 A, in a nanoslit of H = 10σ. Interestingly, the AB 8 A rod monolayer is compatible with either a smectic-A-like or a smectic-C-like organization, but AB 7 A rod molecules exhibit the smectic-A-like organization. The orientation factor of the AB 7 A rod molecule reaches 1, suggesting that AB 7 A rod molecules self-assemble into an ordered structure with perfectly perpendicular orientation to the wall.

Interlayer excitons in a bulk van der Waals semiconductor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arora, Ashish; Drueppel, Matthias; Schmidt, Robert

2017-01-01

Bound electron-hole pairs called excitons govern the electronic and optical response of many organic and inorganic semiconductors. Excitons with spatially displaced wave functions of electrons and holes (interlayer excitons) are important for Bose-Einstein condensation, superfluidity......, dissipationless current flow, and the light-induced exciton spin Hall effect. Here we report on the discovery of interlayer excitons in a bulk van der Waals semiconductor. They form due to strong localization and spin-valley coupling of charge carriers. By combining high-field magneto-reflectance experiments...

Magnetic fields and density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salsbury Jr., Freddie [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1999-02-01

A major focus of this dissertation is the development of functionals for the magnetic susceptibility and the chemical shielding within the context of magnetic field density functional theory (BDFT). These functionals depend on the electron density in the absence of the field, which is unlike any other treatment of these responses. There have been several advances made within this theory. The first of which is the development of local density functionals for chemical shieldings and magnetic susceptibilities. There are the first such functionals ever proposed. These parameters have been studied by constructing functionals for the current density and then using the Biot-Savart equations to obtain the responses. In order to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the local functionals, they were tested numerically on some small molecules.

Magnetic fields and density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salsbury, Freddie Jr.

1999-01-01

A major focus of this dissertation is the development of functionals for the magnetic susceptibility and the chemical shielding within the context of magnetic field density functional theory (BDFT). These functionals depend on the electron density in the absence of the field, which is unlike any other treatment of these responses. There have been several advances made within this theory. The first of which is the development of local density functionals for chemical shieldings and magnetic susceptibilities. There are the first such functionals ever proposed. These parameters have been studied by constructing functionals for the current density and then using the Biot-Savart equations to obtain the responses. In order to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the local functionals, they were tested numerically on some small molecules

Interlayer excitons in a bulk van der Waals semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Ashish; Drüppel, Matthias; Schmidt, Robert; Deilmann, Thorsten; Schneider, Robert; Molas, Maciej R; Marauhn, Philipp; Michaelis de Vasconcellos, Steffen; Potemski, Marek; Rohlfing, Michael; Bratschitsch, Rudolf

2017-09-21

Bound electron-hole pairs called excitons govern the electronic and optical response of many organic and inorganic semiconductors. Excitons with spatially displaced wave functions of electrons and holes (interlayer excitons) are important for Bose-Einstein condensation, superfluidity, dissipationless current flow, and the light-induced exciton spin Hall effect. Here we report on the discovery of interlayer excitons in a bulk van der Waals semiconductor. They form due to strong localization and spin-valley coupling of charge carriers. By combining high-field magneto-reflectance experiments and ab initio calculations for 2H-MoTe 2 , we explain their salient features: the positive sign of the g-factor and the large diamagnetic shift. Our investigations solve the long-standing puzzle of positive g-factors in transition metal dichalcogenides, and pave the way for studying collective phenomena in these materials at elevated temperatures.Excitons, quasi-particles of bound electron-hole pairs, are at the core of the optoelectronic properties of layered transition metal dichalcogenides. Here, the authors unveil the presence of interlayer excitons in bulk van der Waals semiconductors, arising from strong localization and spin-valley coupling of charge carriers.

Tuning the Schottky barrier in the arsenene/graphene van der Waals heterostructures by electric field

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Wang, Tian-Xing; Dai, Xian-Qi; Wang, Xiao-Long; Ma, Ya-Qiang; Chang, Shan-Shan; Tang, Ya-Nan

2017-04-01

Using density functional theory calculations, we investigate the electronic properties of arsenene/graphene van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures by applying external electric field perpendicular to the layers. It is demonstrated that weak vdW interactions dominate between arsenene and graphene with their intrinsic electronic properties preserved. We find that an n-type Schottky contact is formed at the arsenene/graphene interface with a Schottky barrier of 0.54 eV. Moreover, the vertical electric field can not only control the Schottky barrier height but also the Schottky contacts (n-type and p-type) and Ohmic contacts (n-type) at the interface. Tunable p-type doping in graphene is achieved under the negative electric field because electrons can transfer from the Dirac point of graphene to the conduction band of arsenene. The present study would open a new avenue for application of ultrathin arsenene/graphene heterostructures in future nano- and optoelectronics.

Density dependence of the nuclear energy-density functional

Science.gov (United States)

Papakonstantinou, Panagiota; Park, Tae-Sun; Lim, Yeunhwan; Hyun, Chang Ho

2018-01-01

Background: The explicit density dependence in the coupling coefficients entering the nonrelativistic nuclear energy-density functional (EDF) is understood to encode effects of three-nucleon forces and dynamical correlations. The necessity for the density-dependent coupling coefficients to assume the form of a preferably small fractional power of the density ρ is empirical and the power is often chosen arbitrarily. Consequently, precision-oriented parametrizations risk overfitting in the regime of saturation and extrapolations in dilute or dense matter may lose predictive power. Purpose: Beginning with the observation that the Fermi momentum kF, i.e., the cubic root of the density, is a key variable in the description of Fermi systems, we first wish to examine if a power hierarchy in a kF expansion can be inferred from the properties of homogeneous matter in a domain of densities, which is relevant for nuclear structure and neutron stars. For subsequent applications we want to determine a functional that is of good quality but not overtrained. Method: For the EDF, we fit systematically polynomial and other functions of ρ1 /3 to existing microscopic, variational calculations of the energy of symmetric and pure neutron matter (pseudodata) and analyze the behavior of the fits. We select a form and a set of parameters, which we found robust, and examine the parameters' naturalness and the quality of resulting extrapolations. Results: A statistical analysis confirms that low-order terms such as ρ1 /3 and ρ2 /3 are the most relevant ones in the nuclear EDF beyond lowest order. It also hints at a different power hierarchy for symmetric vs. pure neutron matter, supporting the need for more than one density-dependent term in nonrelativistic EDFs. The functional we propose easily accommodates known or adopted properties of nuclear matter near saturation. More importantly, upon extrapolation to dilute or asymmetric matter, it reproduces a range of existing microscopic

Density-functional theory for internal magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Tellgren, Erik I.

2018-01-01

A density-functional theory is developed based on the Maxwell-Schrödinger equation with an internal magnetic field in addition to the external electromagnetic potentials. The basic variables of this theory are the electron density and the total magnetic field, which can equivalently be represented as a physical current density. Hence, the theory can be regarded as a physical current density-functional theory and an alternative to the paramagnetic current density-functional theory due to Vignale and Rasolt. The energy functional has strong enough convexity properties to allow a formulation that generalizes Lieb's convex analysis formulation of standard density-functional theory. Several variational principles as well as a Hohenberg-Kohn-like mapping between potentials and ground-state densities follow from the underlying convex structure. Moreover, the energy functional can be regarded as the result of a standard approximation technique (Moreau-Yosida regularization) applied to the conventional Schrödinger ground-state energy, which imposes limits on the maximum curvature of the energy (with respect to the magnetic field) and enables construction of a (Fréchet) differentiable universal density functional.

Density-density functionals and effective potentials in many-body electronic structure calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reboredo, Fernando A.; Kent, Paul R.

2008-01-01

We demonstrate the existence of different density-density functionals designed to retain selected properties of the many-body ground state in a non-interacting solution starting from the standard density functional theory ground state. We focus on diffusion quantum Monte Carlo applications that require trial wave functions with optimal Fermion nodes. The theory is extensible and can be used to understand current practices in several electronic structure methods within a generalized density functional framework. The theory justifies and stimulates the search of optimal empirical density functionals and effective potentials for accurate calculations of the properties of real materials, but also cautions on the limits of their applicability. The concepts are tested and validated with a near-analytic model.

Excited-state density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harbola, Manoj K; Hemanadhan, M; Shamim, Md; Samal, P

2012-01-01

Starting with a brief introduction to excited-state density functional theory, we present our method of constructing modified local density approximated (MLDA) energy functionals for the excited states. We show that these functionals give accurate results for kinetic energy and exchange energy compared to the ground state LDA functionals. Further, with the inclusion of GGA correction, highly accurate total energies for excited states are obtained. We conclude with a brief discussion on the further direction of research that include the construction of correlation energy functional and exchange potential for excited states.

Cosmological models constructed by van der Waals fluid approximation and volumetric expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Samanta, G. C.; Myrzakulov, R.

The universe modeled with van der Waals fluid approximation, where the van der Waals fluid equation of state contains a single parameter ωv. Analytical solutions to the Einstein’s field equations are obtained by assuming the mean scale factor of the metric follows volumetric exponential and power-law expansions. The model describes a rapid expansion where the acceleration grows in an exponential way and the van der Waals fluid behaves like an inflation for an initial epoch of the universe. Also, the model describes that when time goes away the acceleration is positive, but it decreases to zero and the van der Waals fluid approximation behaves like a present accelerated phase of the universe. Finally, it is observed that the model contains a type-III future singularity for volumetric power-law expansion.

Tunable band gaps in graphene/GaN van der Waals heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Le; Kang, Jun; Li, Yan; Li, Jingbo; Yue, Qu

2014-01-01

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures consisting of graphene and other two-dimensional materials provide good opportunities for achieving desired electronic and optoelectronic properties. Here, we focus on vdW heterostructures composed of graphene and gallium nitride (GaN). Using density functional theory, we perform a systematic study on the structural and electronic properties of heterostructures consisting of graphene and GaN. Small band gaps are opened up at or near the Γ point of the Brillouin zone for all of the heterostructures. We also investigate the effect of the stacking sequence and electric fields on their electronic properties. Our results show that the tunability of the band gap is sensitive to the stacking sequence in bilayer-graphene-based heterostructures. In particular, in the case of graphene/graphene/GaN, a band gap of up to 334 meV is obtained under a perpendicular electric field. The band gap of bilayer graphene between GaN sheets (GaN/graphene/graphene/GaN) shows similar tunability, and increases to 217 meV with the perpendicular electric field reaching 0.8 V Å  − 1 . (paper)

Molecule Matters van der Waals Molecules

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 14; Issue 12. Molecule Matters van der Waals Molecules - Noble Gas Clusters are London Molecules! E Arunan. Feature Article Volume 14 Issue 12 December 2009 pp 1210-1222 ...

High density of (pseudo) periodic twin-grain boundaries in molecular beam epitaxy-grown van der Waals heterostructure: MoTe{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz, Horacio Coy; Ma, Yujing; Chaghi, Redhouane; Batzill, Matthias [Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620 (United States)

2016-05-09

Growth of transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) promises synthesis of artificial van der Waals materials with controllable layer compositions and separations. Here, we show that MBE growth of 2H-MoTe{sub 2} monolayers on MoS{sub 2} substrates results in a high density of mirror-twins within the films. The grain boundaries are tellurium deficient, suggesting that Te-deficiency during growth causes their formation. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy reveal that the grain boundaries arrange in a pseudo periodic “wagon wheel” pattern with only ∼2.6 nm repetition length. Defect states from these domain boundaries fill the band gap and thus give the monolayer an almost metallic property. The band gap states pin the Fermi-level in MoTe{sub 2} and thus determine the band-alignment in the MoTe{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} interface.

Spectral function from Reduced Density Matrix Functional Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Romaniello, Pina; di Sabatino, Stefano; Berger, Jan A.; Reining, Lucia

2015-03-01

In this work we focus on the calculation of the spectral function, which determines, for example, photoemission spectra, from reduced density matrix functional theory. Starting from its definition in terms of the one-body Green's function we derive an expression for the spectral function that depends on the natural occupation numbers and on an effective energy which accounts for all the charged excitations. This effective energy depends on the two-body as well as higher-order density matrices. Various approximations to this expression are explored by using the exactly solvable Hubbard chains.

Ground-state densities from the Rayleigh-Ritz variation principle and from density-functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kvaal, Simen; Helgaker, Trygve

2015-11-14

The relationship between the densities of ground-state wave functions (i.e., the minimizers of the Rayleigh-Ritz variation principle) and the ground-state densities in density-functional theory (i.e., the minimizers of the Hohenberg-Kohn variation principle) is studied within the framework of convex conjugation, in a generic setting covering molecular systems, solid-state systems, and more. Having introduced admissible density functionals as functionals that produce the exact ground-state energy for a given external potential by minimizing over densities in the Hohenberg-Kohn variation principle, necessary and sufficient conditions on such functionals are established to ensure that the Rayleigh-Ritz ground-state densities and the Hohenberg-Kohn ground-state densities are identical. We apply the results to molecular systems in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. For any given potential v ∈ L(3/2)(ℝ(3)) + L(∞)(ℝ(3)), we establish a one-to-one correspondence between the mixed ground-state densities of the Rayleigh-Ritz variation principle and the mixed ground-state densities of the Hohenberg-Kohn variation principle when the Lieb density-matrix constrained-search universal density functional is taken as the admissible functional. A similar one-to-one correspondence is established between the pure ground-state densities of the Rayleigh-Ritz variation principle and the pure ground-state densities obtained using the Hohenberg-Kohn variation principle with the Levy-Lieb pure-state constrained-search functional. In other words, all physical ground-state densities (pure or mixed) are recovered with these functionals and no false densities (i.e., minimizing densities that are not physical) exist. The importance of topology (i.e., choice of Banach space of densities and potentials) is emphasized and illustrated. The relevance of these results for current-density-functional theory is examined.

The role of van der Waals interactions in chemical reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takayanagi, Toshiyuki

1998-01-01

We are studying the role of van der Waals interactions in the chemical reactions from the theoretical view point, especially, a case related to the tunnel effect. The fist case that the cumulative reaction probability depends on the tunnel effect was increased by the van der waals force. This case was proved by theoretical calculation of the reaction rate constant of the reaction: Mu + F2 → MuF + F. The second case was that a van der Waals well was so deep that pseudo bound state was observed in the reaction: F + H 2 → HF + H. A van der Waals complex such as AB(v=j=0)...C was excited to the resonance state of AB(vij)...C and A...BC(v,j) by laser, than the resonance state proceeded to AB + C (predissociation) or A + BC(pre-reaction). We succeeded for the first time to calculate theoretically the pre-reaction by the real three dimentional potential curve. The pre-reaction can be observed only the case that the tunnel probability is larger than the non-adiabatic transition probability. The chemical reactions in solid were explained, too. (S.Y.)

Oscillator representation and generalized van der Waals Hamiltonians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinejkhan, M.

1996-01-01

The method called the oscillator representation is extended to calculate the energy spectrum of bound state described by axially symmetrical potentials in the parabolic system coordinates. In particular, the method is applied to calculate the energy of the ground and excited states of the hydrogen atom in the uniform electric field and van der Waals field. The method gives the perturbation formulas for the analytic spectrum of the hydrogen atom in the generalized van der Waals field and defined oscillator strengths for transitions from the ground state to the perturbed manifold n=10, m=0. 14 refs., 1 fig

The van der Waals interaction of microparticles with a substrate characterized by a nonlocal response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorofeyev, Illarion

2007-01-01

The van der Waals energy of the system constituted by a microparticle and a solid surface characterized by a nonlocal response is calculated taking into account an influence of another microparticle. A saturation of the dispersion interaction at short distances from the surface both for the spectral density of energy and for the total energy is shown. The known McLachlan expression for the pair and triple energies in the case of local media directly follows from the obtained general expression

A density functional theory study on the interactions between dibenzothiophene and tetrafluoroborate-based ionic liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jin; Lü, Renqing; Wu, Chongchong; Xiao, Ye; Liang, Fei; Famakinwa, Temilola

2017-04-01

The interactions between dibenzothiophene (DBT) and N-butyl-N-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF 4 ]), N-butyl-N-methylmorpholinium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmmorpholinium][BF 4 ]), N-butyl-N-methylpiperdinium tetrafluoroborate ([BMPiper][BF 4 ]), N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate ([BMPyrro][BF 4 ]), and N-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ([BPY][BF 4 ]) were investigated using density functional theory approach. Geometric, electron, and topological properties were analyzed using natural bond orbital, atoms in molecules theory, and noncovalent interaction methods in order to understand intermolecular interactions between DBT and ionic liquids. The result shows that hydrogen bond and van der Waals interactions are widespread in all the ionic liquids-DBT systems. Ion-π interactions between DBT and cation or anion are also observed, while π + -π interactions are only found in the [BMIM][BF 4 ]-DBT and [BPY][BF 4 ]-DBT systems. The order of interaction energy is [BPY][BF4]-DBT > [BMIM][BF 4 ]-DBT > [BMPiper][BF 4 ]-DBT > [BMPyrro][BF 4 ]-DBT > [BMmorpholinum][BF 4 ]-DBT. The energies between DBT and the two ionic liquids containing aromatic cations are significantly higher.

Electronic structures and enhanced optical properties of blue phosphorene/transition metal dichalcogenides van der Waals heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Qiong; Wang, Zhenyu; Sa, Baisheng; Wu, Bo; Sun, Zhimei

2016-01-01

As a fast emerging topic, van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have been proposed to modify two-dimensional layered materials with desired properties, thus greatly extending the applications of these materials. In this work, the stacking characteristics, electronic structures, band edge alignments, charge density distributions and optical properties of blue phosphorene/transition metal dichalcogenides (BlueP/TMDs) vdW heterostructures were systematically studied based on vdW corrected density functional theory. Interestingly, the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum are located in different parts of BlueP/MoSe2, BlueP/WS2 and BlueP/WSe2 heterostructures. The MoSe2, WS2 or WSe2 layer can be used as the electron donor and the BlueP layer can be used as the electron acceptor. We further found that the optical properties under visible-light irradiation of BlueP/TMDs vdW heterostructures are significantly improved. In particular, the predicted upper limit energy conversion efficiencies of BlueP/MoS2 and BlueP/MoSe2 heterostructures reach as large as 1.16% and 0.98%, respectively, suggesting their potential applications in efficient thin-film solar cells and optoelectronic devices. PMID:27553787

Electronic structures and enhanced optical properties of blue phosphorene/transition metal dichalcogenides van der Waals heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Qiong; Wang, Zhenyu; Sa, Baisheng; Wu, Bo; Sun, Zhimei

2016-08-24

As a fast emerging topic, van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have been proposed to modify two-dimensional layered materials with desired properties, thus greatly extending the applications of these materials. In this work, the stacking characteristics, electronic structures, band edge alignments, charge density distributions and optical properties of blue phosphorene/transition metal dichalcogenides (BlueP/TMDs) vdW heterostructures were systematically studied based on vdW corrected density functional theory. Interestingly, the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum are located in different parts of BlueP/MoSe2, BlueP/WS2 and BlueP/WSe2 heterostructures. The MoSe2, WS2 or WSe2 layer can be used as the electron donor and the BlueP layer can be used as the electron acceptor. We further found that the optical properties under visible-light irradiation of BlueP/TMDs vdW heterostructures are significantly improved. In particular, the predicted upper limit energy conversion efficiencies of BlueP/MoS2 and BlueP/MoSe2 heterostructures reach as large as 1.16% and 0.98%, respectively, suggesting their potential applications in efficient thin-film solar cells and optoelectronic devices.

The role of van der Waals interactions in the adsorption of noble gases on metal surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, De-Li; Al-Saidi, W A; Johnson, J Karl

2012-10-03

Adsorption of noble gases on metal surfaces is determined by weak interactions. We applied two versions of the nonlocal van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) to compute adsorption energies of Ar, Kr, and Xe on Pt(111), Pd(111), Cu(111), and Cu(110) metal surfaces. We have compared our results with data obtained using other density functional approaches, including the semiempirical vdW corrected DFT-D2. The vdW-DF results show considerable improvements in the description of adsorption energies and equilibrium distances over other DFTbased methods, giving good agreement with experiments. We have also calculated perpendicular vibrational energies for noble gases on the metal surfaces using vdWDF data and found excellent agreement with available experimental results. Our vdW-DF calculations show that adsorption of noble gases on low-coordination sites is energetically favored over high-coordination sites, but only by a few meV. Analysis of the 2-dimensional potential energy surface shows that the high-coordination sites are local maxima on the 2-dimensional potential energy surface and therefore unlikely to be observed in experiments, which provides an explanation of the experimental observations. The DFT-D2 approach with the standard parameterization was found to overestimate the dispersion interactions, and to give the wrong adsorption site preference for four of the nine systems we studied.

Van der Waals-like behaviour of charged black holes and hysteresis in the dual QFTs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariano Cadoni

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Using the rules of the AdS/CFT correspondence, we compute the spherical analogue of the shear viscosity, defined in terms of the retarded Green function for the stress-energy tensor for QFTs dual to five-dimensional charged black holes of general relativity with a negative cosmological constant. We show that the ratio between this quantity and the entropy density, η˜/s, exhibits a temperature-dependent hysteresis. We argue that this hysteretic behaviour can be explained by the Van der Waals-like character of charged black holes, considered as thermodynamical systems. Under the critical charge, hysteresis emerges owing to the presence of two stable states (small and large black holes connected by a meta-stable region (intermediate black holes. A potential barrier prevents the equilibrium path between the two stable states; the system evolution must occur through the meta-stable region, and a path-dependence of η˜/s is generated.

Single-particle energies and density of states in density functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

van Aggelen, H.; Chan, G. K.-L.

2015-07-01

Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) is commonly used as the foundation to obtain neutral excited states and transition weights in DFT, but does not allow direct access to density of states and single-particle energies, i.e. ionisation energies and electron affinities. Here we show that by extending TD-DFT to a superfluid formulation, which involves operators that break particle-number symmetry, we can obtain the density of states and single-particle energies from the poles of an appropriate superfluid response function. The standard Kohn- Sham eigenvalues emerge as the adiabatic limit of the superfluid response under the assumption that the exchange- correlation functional has no dependence on the superfluid density. The Kohn- Sham eigenvalues can thus be interpreted as approximations to the ionisation energies and electron affinities. Beyond this approximation, the formalism provides an incentive for creating a new class of density functionals specifically targeted at accurate single-particle eigenvalues and bandgaps.

Mobility Engineering in Vertical Field Effect Transistors Based on Van der Waals Heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Yong Seon; Lee, Kiyoung; Kim, Young Rae; Lee, Hyangsook; Lee, I Min; Kang, Won Tae; Lee, Boo Heung; Kim, Kunnyun; Heo, Jinseong; Park, Seongjun; Lee, Young Hee; Yu, Woo Jong

2018-03-01

Vertical integration of 2D layered materials to form van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) offers new functional electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the mobility in vertical carrier transport in vdWHs of vertical field-effect transistor (VFET) is not yet investigated in spite of the importance of mobility for the successful application of VFETs in integrated circuits. Here, the mobility in VFET of vdWHs under different drain biases, gate biases, and metal work functions is first investigated and engineered. The traps in WSe 2 are the main source of scattering, which influences the vertical mobility and three distinct transport mechanisms: Ohmic transport, trap-limited transport, and space-charge-limited transport. The vertical mobility in VFET can be improved by suppressing the trap states by raising the Fermi level of WSe 2 . This is achieved by increasing the injected carrier density by applying a high drain voltage, or decreasing the Schottky barrier at the graphene/WSe 2 and metal/WSe 2 junctions by applying a gate bias and reducing the metal work function, respectively. Consequently, the mobility in Mn vdWH at +50 V gate voltage is about 76 times higher than the initial mobility of Au vdWH. This work enables further improvements in the VFET for successful application in integrated circuits. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thermal response in van der Waals heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Gandi, Appala

2016-11-21

We solve numerically the Boltzmann transport equations of the phonons and electrons to understand the thermoelectric response in heterostructures of M2CO2 (M: Ti, Zr, Hf) MXenes with transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. Low frequency optical phonons are found to occur as a consequence of the van der Waals bonding, contribute significantly to the thermal transport, and compensate for the reduced contributions of the acoustic phonons (increased scattering cross-sections in heterostructures), such that the thermal conductivities turn out to be similar to those of the bare MXenes. Our results indicate that the important superlattice design approach of thermoelectrics (to reduce the thermal conductivity) may be effective for two-dimensional van der Waals materials when used in conjunction with intercalation. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Density of states functions for photonic crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McPhedran, R.C.; McOrist, J.; Sterke, C.M. de; Nicorovici, N.A.; Botten, L.C.; Asatryan, A.A.

2004-01-01

We discuss density of states functions for photonic crystals, in the context of the two-dimensional problem for arrays of cylinders of arbitrary cross section. We introduce the mutual density of states (MDOS), and show that this function can be used to calculate both the local density of states (LDOS), which gives position information for emission of radiation from photonic crystals, and the spectral density of states (SDOS), which gives angular information. We establish the connection between MDOS, LDOS, SDOS and the conventional density of states, which depends only on frequency. We relate all four functions to the band structure and propagating states within the crystal, and give numerical examples of the relation between band structure and density of states functions

Nonlocal kinetic-energy-density functionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Gonzalez, P.; Alvarellos, J.E.; Chacon, E.

1996-01-01

In this paper we present nonlocal kinetic-energy functionals T[n] within the average density approximation (ADA) framework, which do not require any extra input when applied to any electron system and recover the exact kinetic energy and the linear response function of a homogeneous system. In contrast with previous ADA functionals, these present good behavior of the long-range tail of the exact weight function. The averaging procedure for the kinetic functional (averaging the Fermi momentum of the electron gas, instead of averaging the electron density) leads to a functional without numerical difficulties in the calculation of extended systems, and it gives excellent results when applied to atoms and jellium surfaces. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Combination Rules for Morse-Based van der Waals Force Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Li; Sun, Lei; Deng, Wei-Qiao

2018-02-15

In traditional force fields (FFs), van der Waals interactions have been usually described by the Lennard-Jones potentials. Conventional combination rules for the parameters of van der Waals (VDW) cross-termed interactions were developed for the Lennard-Jones based FFs. Here, we report that the Morse potentials were a better function to describe VDW interactions calculated by highly precise quantum mechanics methods. A new set of combination rules was developed for Morse-based FFs, in which VDW interactions were described by Morse potentials. The new set of combination rules has been verified by comparing the second virial coefficients of 11 noble gas mixtures. For all of the mixed binaries considered in this work, the combination rules work very well and are superior to all three other existing sets of combination rules reported in the literature. We further used the Morse-based FF by using the combination rules to simulate the adsorption isotherms of CH 4 at 298 K in four covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). The overall agreement is great, which supports the further applications of this new set of combination rules in more realistic simulation systems.

Dynamical screening of the van der Waals interaction between graphene layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dappe, Y J; Bolcatto, P G; Ortega, J; Flores, F

2012-01-01

The interaction between graphene layers is analyzed combining local orbital DFT and second order perturbation theory. For this purpose we use the linear combination of atomic orbitals-orbital occupancy (LCAO-OO) formalism, that allows us to separate the interaction energy as the sum of a weak chemical interaction between graphene layers plus the van der Waals interaction (Dappe et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 74 205434). In this work, the weak chemical interaction is calculated by means of corrected-LDA calculations using an atomic-like sp 3 d 5 basis set. The van der Waals interaction is calculated by means of second order perturbation theory using an atom-atom interaction approximation and the atomic-like-orbital occupancies. We also analyze the effect of dynamical screening in the van der Waals interaction using a simple model. We find that this dynamical screening reduces by 40% the van der Waals interaction. Taking this effect into account, we obtain a graphene-graphene interaction energy of 70 ± 5 meV/atom in reasonable agreement with the experimental evidence.

Dynamical screening of the van der Waals interaction between graphene layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dappe, Y J; Bolcatto, P G; Ortega, J; Flores, F

2012-10-24

The interaction between graphene layers is analyzed combining local orbital DFT and second order perturbation theory. For this purpose we use the linear combination of atomic orbitals-orbital occupancy (LCAO-OO) formalism, that allows us to separate the interaction energy as the sum of a weak chemical interaction between graphene layers plus the van der Waals interaction (Dappe et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 74 205434). In this work, the weak chemical interaction is calculated by means of corrected-LDA calculations using an atomic-like sp(3)d(5) basis set. The van der Waals interaction is calculated by means of second order perturbation theory using an atom-atom interaction approximation and the atomic-like-orbital occupancies. We also analyze the effect of dynamical screening in the van der Waals interaction using a simple model. We find that this dynamical screening reduces by 40% the van der Waals interaction. Taking this effect into account, we obtain a graphene-graphene interaction energy of 70 ± 5 meV/atom in reasonable agreement with the experimental evidence.

Effect of physisorbed molecules and an external external fields on the metallic Shockley surface state of Cu(111): A density functional theory study

Science.gov (United States)

Berland, Kristian; Einstein, T. L.; Hyldgaard, Per

2012-02-01

To manipulate the Cu(111) partially-filled Shockley surface state, we study its response to an external fieldootnotetextKB, TLE, PH; arXiv 1109:6706 E and physisorbed PAHs and quinone molecules. We use density-functional theory calculations with periodic-boundary conditions. The van der Waals density functional version vdW-DF2 accounts for the molecular adsorption. The issue that the Kohn-Sham wave functions couple to both sides of the Cu slab is handled with a decoupling scheme based on a rotation in Hilbert space. A convergence study reveals that to obtain a proper Shockley surface state, 6 Cu layers is sufficient, while 15 is optimal. We use 6 layers for the response to the molecules and 15 to external field. We find that the surface state displays isotropic dispersion (up to order k^6), free-electron like until the Fermi wave vector but with a significant quartic component beyond. The shift in band minimum and effective mass depend linearly on E, with a smaller fractional change in the latter. Charge transfer occurs beyond the outermost copper atoms, and most of the screening is due to bulk electrons. We find that the molecular physisorption increases the band minimum, with the effect the of a quinone being much stronger than the corresponding PAH.

Exchange-correlation energies of atoms from efficient density functionals: influence of the electron density

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Jianmin; Ye, Lin-Hui; Duan, Yuhua

2017-12-01

The primary goal of Kohn-Sham density functional theory is to evaluate the exchange-correlation contribution to electronic properties. However, the accuracy of a density functional can be affected by the electron density. Here we apply the nonempirical Tao-Mo (TM) semilocal functional to study the influence of the electron density on the exchange and correlation energies of atoms and ions, and compare the results with the commonly used nonempirical semilocal functionals local spin-density approximation (LSDA), Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE), Tao-Perdew-Staroverov-Scuseria (TPSS), and hybrid functional PBE0. We find that the spin-restricted Hartree-Fock density yields the exchange and correlation energies in good agreement with the Optimized Effective Potential method, particularly for spherical atoms and ions. However, the errors of these semilocal and hybrid functionals become larger for self-consistent densities. We further find that the quality of the electron density have greater effect on the exchange-correlation energies of kinetic energy density-dependent meta-GGA functionals TPSS and TM than on those of the LSDA and GGA, and therefore, should have greater influence on the performance of meta-GGA functionals. Finally, we show that the influence of the density quality on PBE0 is slightly reduced, compared to that of PBE, due to the exact mixing.

A multiconfigurational hybrid density-functional theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharkas, Kamal; Savin, Andreas; Jensen, Hans Jørgen Aagaard

2012-01-01

We propose a multiconfigurational hybrid density-functional theory which rigorously combines a multiconfiguration self-consistent-field calculation with a density-functional approximation based on a linear decomposition of the electron-electron interaction. This gives a straightforward extension ...

1-D Van der Waals Foams Heated by Ion Beam Energy Deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zylstra, A.B.; Barnard, J.J.; More, R.M.

2009-01-01

One dimensional simulations of various initial average density aluminum foams (modeled as slabs of solid metal separated by low density regions) heated by volumetric energy deposition are conducted with a Lagrangian hydrodynamics code using a van der Waals equation of tate (EOS). The resulting behavior is studied to facilitate the design of future warm dense matter (WDM) experiments at LBNL. In the simulations the energy deposition ranges from 10 to 30 kJ/g and from 0.075 to 4.0 ns total pulse length, resulting in temperatures from approximately 1 o 4 eV. We study peak pressures and temperatures in the foams, expansion velocity, and the phase evolution. Five relevant time scales in the problem are identified. Additionally, we present a method for characterizing the level of inhomogeneity in a foam target as it is heated and the time it takes for a foam to homogenize.

Local density approximation for exchange in excited-state density functional theory

OpenAIRE

Harbola, Manoj K.; Samal, Prasanjit

2004-01-01

Local density approximation for the exchange energy is made for treatment of excited-states in density-functional theory. It is shown that taking care of the state-dependence of the LDA exchange energy functional leads to accurate excitation energies.

Energy vs. density on paths toward more exact density functionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kepp, Kasper P

2018-03-14

Recently, the progression toward more exact density functional theory has been questioned, implying a need for more formal ways to systematically measure progress, i.e. a "path". Here I use the Hohenberg-Kohn theorems and the definition of normality by Burke et al. to define a path toward exactness and "straying" from the "path" by separating errors in ρ and E[ρ]. A consistent path toward exactness involves minimizing both errors. Second, a suitably diverse test set of trial densities ρ' can be used to estimate the significance of errors in ρ without knowing the exact densities which are often inaccessible. To illustrate this, the systems previously studied by Medvedev et al., the first ionization energies of atoms with Z = 1 to 10, the ionization energy of water, and the bond dissociation energies of five diatomic molecules were investigated using CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV5Z as benchmark at chemical accuracy. Four functionals of distinct designs was used: B3LYP, PBE, M06, and S-VWN. For atomic cations regardless of charge and compactness up to Z = 10, the energy effects of the different ρ are energy-wise insignificant. An interesting oscillating behavior in the density sensitivity is observed vs. Z, explained by orbital occupation effects. Finally, it is shown that even large "normal" problems such as the Co-C bond energy of cobalamins can use simpler (e.g. PBE) trial densities to drastically speed up computation by loss of a few kJ mol -1 in accuracy. The proposed method of using a test set of trial densities to estimate the sensitivity and significance of density errors of functionals may be useful for testing and designing new balanced functionals with more systematic improvement of densities and energies.

Augmented van der Waals Equations of State: SAFT-VR versus Yukawa Based van der Waals Equation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nezbeda, Ivo; Melnyk, R.; Trokhymchuk, A.

2011-01-01

Roč. 309, č. 2 (2011), s. 174-178 ISSN 0378-3812 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA400720710 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : perturbation theory * SAFT-VR * augmented van der Waals Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.139, year: 2011

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Dynamics of Polyatomic Van der Waals Complexes

CERN Document Server

Janda, Kenneth

1991-01-01

This publication is the Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on the Dynamics of Polyatomic Van der Waals Molecules held at the Chateau de Bonas, Castera-Verduzan, France, from August 21 through August 26, 1989. Van der Waals complexes provide important model problems for understanding energy transfer and dissipation. These processes can be described in great detail for Van der Waals complexes, and the insight gained from such studies can be applied to more complicated chemical problems that are not amenable to detailed study. The workshop concentrated on the current questions and future prospects for extend­ ing our highly detailed knowledge of triatomic Van der Waals molecule dynamics to polyatomic molecules and clusters (one molecule surrounded by several, or up to sev­ eral tens of, atoms). Both experimental and theoretical studies were discussed, with particular emphasis on the dynamical behavior of dissociation as observed in the dis­ tributions of quantum states of the dissociatio...

Relativistic density functional for nuclear structure

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This book aims to provide a detailed introduction to the state-of-the-art covariant density functional theory, which follows the Lorentz invariance from the very beginning and is able to describe nuclear many-body quantum systems microscopically and self-consistently. Covariant density functional theory was introduced in nuclear physics in the 1970s and has since been developed and used to describe the diversity of nuclear properties and phenomena with great success. In order to provide an advanced and updated textbook of covariant density functional theory for graduate students and nuclear physics researchers, this book summarizes the enormous amount of material that has accumulated in the field of covariant density functional theory over the last few decades as well as the latest developments in this area. Moreover, the book contains enough details for readers to follow the formalism and theoretical results, and provides exhaustive references to explore the research literature.

Electronic Properties and Device Applications of van-der-Waals Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Renteria, Jacqueline de Dios

graphene devices, where the noise spectral density does not follow the carrier number fluctuation model. The trap density extracted from the noise measurements is on the order of 1.5x1019 eV-1cm-3 and 2x10 20 eV-1cm-3 for as fabricated and aged samples, respectively. These values are of the same order of magnitude as those in high-k MOSFETS. These results of this dissertation research may lead to new applications of van der Waals materials.

Molecule Matters van der Waals Molecules

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 15; Issue 7. Molecule Matters van der Waals Molecules - Rg•••HF Complexes are Debye Molecules! E Arunan. Feature Article Volume 15 Issue 7 July 2010 pp 667-674. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Empathy's purity, sympathy's complexities; De Waal, Darwin and Adam Smith.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Weele, Cor

2011-07-01

Frans de Waal's view that empathy is at the basis of morality directly seems to build on Darwin, who considered sympathy as the crucial instinct. Yet when we look closer, their understanding of the central social instinct differs considerably. De Waal sees our deeply ingrained tendency to sympathize (or rather: empathize) with others as the good side of our morally dualistic nature. For Darwin, sympathizing was not the whole story of the "workings of sympathy"; the (selfish) need to receive sympathy played just as central a role in the complex roads from sympathy to morality. Darwin's understanding of sympathy stems from Adam Smith, who argued that the presence of morally impure motives should not be a reason for cynicism about morality. I suggest that De Waal's approach could benefit from a more thorough alignment with the analysis of the workings of sympathy in the work of Darwin and Adam Smith.

Engineering Low Dimensional Materials with van der Waals Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Chenhao

the consequence of interlayer interaction, as well as its systematic evolution in the parameter space. Experimentally, optical spectroscopy is a powerful tool to investigate properties of materials, owing to its insusceptibility to extrinsic effects like defects, capability of obtaining information in large spectral range, and the sensitivity to not only density of states but also wavefunction through transition matrix element. Following the classification of interlayer interaction, I will present optical spectroscopy studies of three van der Waals systems: Two-dimensional few layer phosphorene, one-dimensional double-walled nanotubes, and two-dimensional graphene/hexagonal Boron Nitride heterostructure. Experimental results exhibit rich and distinctively different effects of interlayer interaction in these systems, as a demonstration of the colorful physics from the large parameter space. On the other hand, all these cases can be well-described by the methods developed in the theory part, which explains experimental results quantitatively through only a few parameters each with clear physical meaning. Therefore, the formalism given here, both from theoretical and experimental aspects, offers a generally useful methodology to study, understand and design van der Waals materials for both fascinating physics and novel applications.

Density functional theory study on the interactions of l-cysteine with graphene: adsorption stability and magnetism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Huijuan; Li, Hejun; Fu, Qiangang; Chu, Yanhui; Cao, Xiaoyu; Sun, Can; Yuan, Xiaoyan; Liu, Lei

2013-01-01

Understanding the interactions between graphene and biomolecules is of fundamental relevance to the area of nanobiotechnology. Herein, we take l-cysteine as the probe biomolecule and investigate its adsorption on pristine graphene and B-, N-, Al-, Ni-, Ga-, Pd-doped graphene using density functional theory calculations. Three kinds of upright adsorption configurations, via unprotonated functional groups (–SH, –NH 2 , –COOH), are considered. The calculations reveal pristine graphene physically adsorbs l-cysteine. N-doped graphene shows physisorption towards the S-end and N-end l-cysteine, and chemisorption towards the O-end radical. Strong chemisorption, with site-specific preference, occurs on Al-, Ni-, Ga- and Pd-doped graphene, accompanied by severe structural changes. Spin polarization with an unusual mirror symmetry on Ni- and Pd-doped graphene is induced by chemisorption of unprotonated l-cysteine, except for O-end adsorption on Pd-doped graphene. The magnetization arises mainly from spin polarization of the C 2p z orbital, with a minor magnetism located on Ni or Pd. The influence of van der Waals forces is also evaluated. A thorough analysis of the adsorption stability and magnetism of these systems would be beneficial to facilitate applications in graphene-based biosensing, biomolecule immobilization, magnetic bio-separation and other fields in bionanotechnology. (paper)

Locality of correlation in density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burke, Kieron [Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 (United States); Cancio, Antonio [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306 (United States); Gould, Tim [Qld Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111 (Australia); Pittalis, Stefano [CNR-Istituto di Nanoscienze, Via Campi 213A, I-41125 Modena (Italy)

2016-08-07

The Hohenberg-Kohn density functional was long ago shown to reduce to the Thomas-Fermi (TF) approximation in the non-relativistic semiclassical (or large-Z) limit for all matter, i.e., the kinetic energy becomes local. Exchange also becomes local in this limit. Numerical data on the correlation energy of atoms support the conjecture that this is also true for correlation, but much less relevant to atoms. We illustrate how expansions around a large particle number are equivalent to local density approximations and their strong relevance to density functional approximations. Analyzing highly accurate atomic correlation energies, we show that E{sub C} → −A{sub C} ZlnZ + B{sub C}Z as Z → ∞, where Z is the atomic number, A{sub C} is known, and we estimate B{sub C} to be about 37 mhartree. The local density approximation yields A{sub C} exactly, but a very incorrect value for B{sub C}, showing that the local approximation is less relevant for the correlation alone. This limit is a benchmark for the non-empirical construction of density functional approximations. We conjecture that, beyond atoms, the leading correction to the local density approximation in the large-Z limit generally takes this form, but with B{sub C} a functional of the TF density for the system. The implications for the construction of approximate density functionals are discussed.

Efimov states near a Feshbach resonance and the limits of van der Waals universality at finite background scattering length

Science.gov (United States)

Langmack, Christian; Schmidt, Richard; Zwerger, Wilhelm

2018-03-01

We calculate the spectrum of three-body Efimov bound states near a Feshbach resonance within a model which accounts both for the finite range of interactions and the presence of background scattering. The latter may be due to direct interactions in an open channel or a second overlapping Feshbach resonance. It is found that background scattering gives rise to substantial changes in the trimer spectrum as a function of the detuning away from a Feshbach resonance, in particular in the regime where the background channel supports Efimov states on its own. Compared to the situation with negligible background scattering, the regime where van der Waals universality applies is shifted to larger values of the resonance strength if the background scattering length is positive. For negative background scattering lengths, in turn, van der Waals universality extends to even small values of the resonance strength parameter, consistent with experimental results on Efimov states in 39K. Within a simple model, we show that short-range three-body forces do not affect van der Waals universality significantly. Repulsive three-body forces may, however, explain the observed variation between around -8 and -10 of the ratio between the scattering length where the first Efimov trimer appears and the van der Waals length.

Functional derivative of noninteracting kinetic energy density functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Shubin; Ayers, Paul W.

2004-01-01

Proofs from different theoretical frameworks, namely, the Hohenbergh-Kohn theorems, the Kohn-Sham scheme, and the first-order density matrix representation, have been presented in this paper to show that the functional derivative of the noninteracting kinetic energy density functional can uniquely be expressed as the negative of the Kohn-Sham effective potential, arbitrary only to an additive orbital-independent constant. Key points leading to the current result as well as confusion about the quantity in the literature are briefly discussed

Density functionals in the laboratory frame

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraud, B. G.

2008-01-01

We compare several definitions of the density of a self-bound system, such as a nucleus, in relation with its center-of-mass zero-point motion. A trivial deconvolution relates the internal density to the density defined in the laboratory frame. This result is useful for the practical definition of density functionals

Density-functional expansion methods: Grand challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Giese, Timothy J; York, Darrin M

2012-03-01

We discuss the source of errors in semiempirical density functional expansion (VE) methods. In particular, we show that VE methods are capable of well-reproducing their standard Kohn-Sham density functional method counterparts, but suffer from large errors upon using one or more of these approximations: the limited size of the atomic orbital basis, the Slater monopole auxiliary basis description of the response density, and the one- and two-body treatment of the core-Hamiltonian matrix elements. In the process of discussing these approximations and highlighting their symptoms, we introduce a new model that supplements the second-order density-functional tight-binding model with a self-consistent charge-dependent chemical potential equalization correction; we review our recently reported method for generalizing the auxiliary basis description of the atomic orbital response density; and we decompose the first-order potential into a summation of additive atomic components and many-body corrections, and from this examination, we provide new insights and preliminary results that motivate and inspire new approximate treatments of the core-Hamiltonian.

Resonance oscillations of nonreciprocal long-range van der Waals forces between atoms in electromagnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Sherkunov, Yury

2018-03-01

We study theoretically the van der Waals interaction between two atoms out of equilibrium with an isotropic electromagnetic field. We demonstrate that at large interatomic separations, the van der Waals forces are resonant, spatially oscillating, and nonreciprocal due to resonance absorption and emission of virtual photons. We suggest that the van der Waals forces can be controlled and manipulated by tuning the spectrum of artificially created random light.

Van der Waals phase transition in the framework of holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, Xiao-Xiong; Li, Li-Fang

2017-01-01

Phase structure of the quintessence Reissner–Nordström–AdS black hole is probed by the nonlocal observables such as holographic entanglement entropy and two point correlation function. Our result shows that, as the case of the thermal entropy, both the observables exhibit the Van der Waals-like phase transition. To reinforce this conclusion, we further check the equal area law for the first order phase transition and critical exponent of the heat capacity for the second order phase transition. We also discuss the effect of the state parameter on the phase structure of the nonlocal observables.

Van der Waals phase transition in the framework of holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Xiao-Xiong, E-mail: xxzeng@itp.ac.cn [State School of Material Science and Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074 (China); Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Li, Li-Fang, E-mail: lilf@itp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2017-01-10

Phase structure of the quintessence Reissner–Nordström–AdS black hole is probed by the nonlocal observables such as holographic entanglement entropy and two point correlation function. Our result shows that, as the case of the thermal entropy, both the observables exhibit the Van der Waals-like phase transition. To reinforce this conclusion, we further check the equal area law for the first order phase transition and critical exponent of the heat capacity for the second order phase transition. We also discuss the effect of the state parameter on the phase structure of the nonlocal observables.

Van der Waals phase transition in the framework of holography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Xiong Zeng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Phase structure of the quintessence Reissner–Nordström–AdS black hole is probed by the nonlocal observables such as holographic entanglement entropy and two point correlation function. Our result shows that, as the case of the thermal entropy, both the observables exhibit the Van der Waals-like phase transition. To reinforce this conclusion, we further check the equal area law for the first order phase transition and critical exponent of the heat capacity for the second order phase transition. We also discuss the effect of the state parameter on the phase structure of the nonlocal observables.

Periodic subsystem density-functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genova, Alessandro; Pavanello, Michele; Ceresoli, Davide

2014-01-01

By partitioning the electron density into subsystem contributions, the Frozen Density Embedding (FDE) formulation of subsystem Density Functional Theory (DFT) has recently emerged as a powerful tool for reducing the computational scaling of Kohn–Sham DFT. To date, however, FDE has been employed to molecular systems only. Periodic systems, such as metals, semiconductors, and other crystalline solids have been outside the applicability of FDE, mostly because of the lack of a periodic FDE implementation. To fill this gap, in this work we aim at extending FDE to treat subsystems of molecular and periodic character. This goal is achieved by a dual approach. On one side, the development of a theoretical framework for periodic subsystem DFT. On the other, the realization of the method into a parallel computer code. We find that periodic FDE is capable of reproducing total electron densities and (to a lesser extent) also interaction energies of molecular systems weakly interacting with metallic surfaces. In the pilot calculations considered, we find that FDE fails in those cases where there is appreciable density overlap between the subsystems. Conversely, we find FDE to be in semiquantitative agreement with Kohn–Sham DFT when the inter-subsystem density overlap is low. We also conclude that to make FDE a suitable method for describing molecular adsorption at surfaces, kinetic energy density functionals that go beyond the GGA level must be employed

Periodic subsystem density-functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, Alessandro; Ceresoli, Davide; Pavanello, Michele

2014-11-01

By partitioning the electron density into subsystem contributions, the Frozen Density Embedding (FDE) formulation of subsystem Density Functional Theory (DFT) has recently emerged as a powerful tool for reducing the computational scaling of Kohn-Sham DFT. To date, however, FDE has been employed to molecular systems only. Periodic systems, such as metals, semiconductors, and other crystalline solids have been outside the applicability of FDE, mostly because of the lack of a periodic FDE implementation. To fill this gap, in this work we aim at extending FDE to treat subsystems of molecular and periodic character. This goal is achieved by a dual approach. On one side, the development of a theoretical framework for periodic subsystem DFT. On the other, the realization of the method into a parallel computer code. We find that periodic FDE is capable of reproducing total electron densities and (to a lesser extent) also interaction energies of molecular systems weakly interacting with metallic surfaces. In the pilot calculations considered, we find that FDE fails in those cases where there is appreciable density overlap between the subsystems. Conversely, we find FDE to be in semiquantitative agreement with Kohn-Sham DFT when the inter-subsystem density overlap is low. We also conclude that to make FDE a suitable method for describing molecular adsorption at surfaces, kinetic energy density functionals that go beyond the GGA level must be employed.

Fluorinated graphene and hexagonal boron nitride as ALD seed layers for graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Hongwei; Liu, Yunlong; Xu, Yang; Meng, Nan; Luo, Jikui; Wang, Hongtao; Hasan, Tawfique; Wang, Xinran; Yu, Bin

2014-01-01

Ultrathin dielectric materials prepared by atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) technology are commonly used in graphene electronics. Using the first-principles density functional theory calculations with van der Waals (vdW) interactions included, we demonstrate that single-side fluorinated graphene (SFG) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) exhibit large physical adsorption energy and strong electrostatic interactions with H 2 O-based ALD precursors, indicating their potential as the ALD seed layer for dielectric growth on graphene. In graphene-SFG vdW heterostructures, graphene is n-doped after ALD precursor adsorption on the SFG surface caused by vertical intrinsic polarization of SFG. However, graphene-h-BN vdW heterostructures help preserving the intrinsic characteristics of the underlying graphene due to in-plane intrinsic polarization of h-BN. By choosing SFG or BN as the ALD seed layer on the basis of actual device design needs, the graphene vdW heterostructures may find applications in low-dimensional electronics. (paper)

Quantal density functional theory

CERN Document Server

Sahni, Viraht

2016-01-01

This book deals with quantal density functional theory (QDFT) which is a time-dependent local effective potential theory of the electronic structure of matter. The treated time-independent QDFT constitutes a special case. In the 2nd edition, the theory is extended to include the presence of external magnetostatic fields. The theory is a description of matter based on the ‘quantal Newtonian’ first and second laws which is in terms of “classical” fields that pervade all space, and their quantal sources. The fields, which are explicitly defined, are separately representative of electron correlations due to the Pauli exclusion principle, Coulomb repulsion, correlation-kinetic, correlation-current-density, and correlation-magnetic effects. The book further describes Schrödinger theory from the new physical perspective of fields and quantal sources. It also describes traditional Hohenberg-Kohn-Sham DFT, and explains via QDFT the physics underlying the various energy functionals and functional derivatives o...

Cluster ions and van der Waals molecules

CERN Document Server

Smirnov, Boris M

1992-01-01

This review discusses current ideas in the physics and chemistry of cluster ions and Van der Waals molecules as well as presenting numerical data on their parameters and the processes involving them. It is also a detailed reference on basic data relating to many species.

Electric field modulation of Schottky barrier height in graphene/MoSe2 van der Waals heterointerface

OpenAIRE

Sata, Yohta; Moriya, Rai; Morikawa, Sei; Yabuki, Naoto; Masubuchi, Satoru; Machida, Tomoki

2015-01-01

We demonstrate a vertical field-effect transistor based on a graphene/MoSe2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure. The vdW interface between the graphene and MoSe2 exhibits a Schottky barrier with an ideality factor of around 1.3, suggesting a high-quality interface. Owing to the low density of states in graphene, the position of the Fermi level in the graphene can be strongly modulated by an external electric field. Therefore, the Schottky barrier height at the graphene/MoSe2 vdW interface is ...

Reduced density matrix functional theory via a wave function based approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schade, Robert; Bloechl, Peter [Institute for Theoretical Physics, Clausthal University of Technology, Clausthal (Germany); Pruschke, Thomas [Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Goettingen, Goettingen (Germany)

2016-07-01

We propose a new method for the calculation of the electronic and atomic structure of correlated electron systems based on reduced density matrix functional theory (rDMFT). The density-matrix functional is evaluated on the fly using Levy's constrained search formalism. The present implementation rests on a local approximation of the interaction reminiscent to that of dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). We focus here on additional approximations to the exact density-matrix functional in the local approximation and evaluate their performance.

A real-space stochastic density matrix approach for density functional electronic structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Thomas L

2015-12-21

The recent development of real-space grid methods has led to more efficient, accurate, and adaptable approaches for large-scale electrostatics and density functional electronic structure modeling. With the incorporation of multiscale techniques, linear-scaling real-space solvers are possible for density functional problems if localized orbitals are used to represent the Kohn-Sham energy functional. These methods still suffer from high computational and storage overheads, however, due to extensive matrix operations related to the underlying wave function grid representation. In this paper, an alternative stochastic method is outlined that aims to solve directly for the one-electron density matrix in real space. In order to illustrate aspects of the method, model calculations are performed for simple one-dimensional problems that display some features of the more general problem, such as spatial nodes in the density matrix. This orbital-free approach may prove helpful considering a future involving increasingly parallel computing architectures. Its primary advantage is the near-locality of the random walks, allowing for simultaneous updates of the density matrix in different regions of space partitioned across the processors. In addition, it allows for testing and enforcement of the particle number and idempotency constraints through stabilization of a Feynman-Kac functional integral as opposed to the extensive matrix operations in traditional approaches.

Decay of autoionizing states in time-dependent density functional and reduced density matrix functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kapoor, Varun; Brics, Martins; Bauer, Dieter [Institut fuer Physik, Universitaet Rostock, 18051 Rostock (Germany)

2013-07-01

Autoionizing states are inaccessible to time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) using known, adiabatic Kohn-Sham (KS) potentials. We determine the exact KS potential for a numerically exactly solvable model Helium atom interacting with a laser field that is populating an autoionizing state. The exact single-particle density of the population in the autoionizing state corresponds to that of the energetically lowest quasi-stationary state in the exact KS potential. We describe how this exact potential controls the decay by a barrier whose height and width allows for the density to tunnel out and decay with the same rate as in the ab initio time-dependent Schroedinger calculation. However, devising a useful exchange-correlation potential that is capable of governing such a scenario in general and in more complex systems is hopeless. As an improvement over TDDFT, time-dependent reduced density matrix functional theory has been proposed. We are able to obtain for the above described autoionization process the exact time-dependent natural orbitals (i.e., the eigenfunctions of the exact, time-dependent one-body reduced density matrix) and study the potentials that appear in the equations of motion for the natural orbitals and the structure of the two-body density matrix expanded in them.

Comparison of approximations in density functional theory calculations: Energetics and structure of binary oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Hinuma, Yoyo; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Kumagai, Yu; Tanaka, Isao; Oba, Fumiyasu

2017-09-01

High-throughput first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) are a powerful tool in data-oriented materials research. The choice of approximation to the exchange-correlation functional is crucial as it strongly affects the accuracy of DFT calculations. This study compares performance of seven approximations, six of which are based on Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with and without Hubbard U and van der Waals corrections (PBE, PBE+U, PBED3, PBED3+U, PBEsol, and PBEsol+U), and the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA on the energetics and crystal structure of elementary substances and binary oxides. For the latter, only those with closed-shell electronic structures are considered, examples of which include C u2O , A g2O , MgO, ZnO, CdO, SnO, PbO, A l2O3 , G a2O3 , I n2O3 , L a2O3 , B i2O3 , Si O2 , Sn O2 , Pb O2 , Ti O2 , Zr O2 , Hf O2 , V2O5 , N b2O5 , T a2O5 , Mo O3 , and W O3 . Prototype crystal structures are selected from the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) and cation substitution is used to make a set of existing and hypothetical oxides. Two indices are proposed to quantify the extent of lattice and internal coordinate relaxation during a calculation. The former is based on the second invariant and determinant of the transformation matrix of basis vectors from before relaxation to after relaxation, and the latter is derived from shifts of internal coordinates of atoms in the unit cell. PBED3, PBEsol, and SCAN reproduce experimental lattice parameters of elementary substances and oxides well with few outliers. Notably, PBEsol and SCAN predict the lattice parameters of low dimensional structures comparably well with PBED3, even though these two functionals do not explicitly treat van der Waals interactions. SCAN gives formation enthalpies and Gibbs free energies closest to experimental data, with mean errors (MEs) of 0.01 and -0.04 eV, respectively, and root

Self-Interaction Error in Density Functional Theory: An Appraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Junwei Lucas; Gagliardi, Laura; Truhlar, Donald G

2018-05-03

Self-interaction error (SIE) is considered to be one of the major sources of error in most approximate exchange-correlation functionals for Kohn-Sham density-functional theory (KS-DFT), and it is large with all local exchange-correlation functionals and with some hybrid functionals. In this work, we consider systems conventionally considered to be dominated by SIE. For these systems, we demonstrate that by using multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT), the error of a translated local density-functional approximation is significantly reduced (by a factor of 3) when using an MCSCF density and on-top density, as compared to using KS-DFT with the parent functional; the error in MC-PDFT with local on-top functionals is even lower than the error in some popular KS-DFT hybrid functionals. Density-functional theory, either in MC-PDFT form with local on-top functionals or in KS-DFT form with some functionals having 50% or more nonlocal exchange, has smaller errors for SIE-prone systems than does CASSCF, which has no SIE.

Density functional theory and parallel processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, R.C.; Geist, G.A.; Butler, W.H.

1987-01-01

The authors demonstrate a method for obtaining the ground state energies and charge densities of a system of atoms described within density functional theory using simulated annealing on a parallel computer

Optoelectronic Properties of Van Der Waals Hybrid Structures: Fullerenes on Graphene Nanoribbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Correa, Julián David; Orellana, Pedro Alejandro; Pacheco, Mónica

2017-03-20

The search for new optical materials capable of absorbing light in the frequency range from visible to near infrared is of great importance for applications in optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we report a theoretical study of the electronic and optical properties of hybrid structures composed of fullerenes adsorbed on graphene and on graphene nanoribbons. The calculations are performed in the framework of the density functional theory including the van der Waals dispersive interactions. We found that the adsorption of the C 60 fullerenes on a graphene layer does not modify its low energy states, but it has strong consequences for its optical spectrum, introducing new absorption peaks in the visible energy region. The optical absorption of fullerenes and graphene nanoribbon composites shows a strong dependence on photon polarization and geometrical characteristics of the hybrid systems, covering a broad range of energies. We show that an external electric field across the nanoribbon edges can be used to tune different optical transitions coming from nanoribbon-fullerene hybridized states, which yields a very rich electro-absorption spectrum for longitudinally polarized photons. We have carried out a qualitative analysis on the potential of these hybrids as possible donor-acceptor systems in photovoltaic cells.

Optoelectronic Properties of Van Der Waals Hybrid Structures: Fullerenes on Graphene Nanoribbons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julián David Correa

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The search for new optical materials capable of absorbing light in the frequency range from visible to near infrared is of great importance for applications in optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we report a theoretical study of the electronic and optical properties of hybrid structures composed of fullerenes adsorbed on graphene and on graphene nanoribbons. The calculations are performed in the framework of the density functional theory including the van der Waals dispersive interactions. We found that the adsorption of the C 60 fullerenes on a graphene layer does not modify its low energy states, but it has strong consequences for its optical spectrum, introducing new absorption peaks in the visible energy region. The optical absorption of fullerenes and graphene nanoribbon composites shows a strong dependence on photon polarization and geometrical characteristics of the hybrid systems, covering a broad range of energies. We show that an external electric field across the nanoribbon edges can be used to tune different optical transitions coming from nanoribbon–fullerene hybridized states, which yields a very rich electro-absorption spectrum for longitudinally polarized photons. We have carried out a qualitative analysis on the potential of these hybrids as possible donor-acceptor systems in photovoltaic cells.

Rational Density Functional Selection Using Game Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

McAnanama-Brereton, Suzanne; Waller, Mark P

2018-01-22

Theoretical chemistry has a paradox of choice due to the availability of a myriad of density functionals and basis sets. Traditionally, a particular density functional is chosen on the basis of the level of user expertise (i.e., subjective experiences). Herein we circumvent the user-centric selection procedure by describing a novel approach for objectively selecting a particular functional for a given application. We achieve this by employing game theory to identify optimal functional/basis set combinations. A three-player (accuracy, complexity, and similarity) game is devised, through which Nash equilibrium solutions can be obtained. This approach has the advantage that results can be systematically improved by enlarging the underlying knowledge base, and the deterministic selection procedure mathematically justifies the density functional and basis set selections.

Van der Waals black hole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aruna Rajagopal

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the context of extended phase space, where the negative cosmological constant is treated as a thermodynamic pressure in the first law of black hole thermodynamics, we find an asymptotically AdS metric whose thermodynamics matches exactly that of the Van der Waals fluid. We show that as a solution of Einstein's equations, the corresponding stress energy tensor obeys (at least for certain range of metric parameters all three weak, strong, and dominant energy conditions.

Quark confinement potential and color Van der Waals force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Yuming; Hua Daping; Liu Zuhua

1985-01-01

The color-analog Van der Waals force between two hadrons is studied by use of the coupling channel resonating group method in the framework of the Gaussian-type quark confinement potential. The problem of the boundary values for the two channel coupling differential equations is changed to the problem of the initial values. The equations are solved numerically by use of the Gear mehtod. The calculated results show that there is no color Van der Waals force between hadrons in the confinement potential model. This indicates that the confinement potential model not only can describe the internal structure of hadrons but also can be used to calculate the hadron-hadron interactions if the quark confinement potential is chosen properly

From the Cover: Evidence for van der Waals adhesion in gecko setae

Science.gov (United States)

Autumn, Kellar; Sitti, Metin; Liang, Yiching A.; Peattie, Anne M.; Hansen, Wendy R.; Sponberg, Simon; Kenny, Thomas W.; Fearing, Ronald; Israelachvili, Jacob N.; Full, Robert J.

2002-09-01

Geckos have evolved one of the most versatile and effective adhesives known. The mechanism of dry adhesion in the millions of setae on the toes of geckos has been the focus of scientific study for over a century. We provide the first direct experimental evidence for dry adhesion of gecko setae by van der Waals forces, and reject the use of mechanisms relying on high surface polarity, including capillary adhesion. The toes of live Tokay geckos were highly hydrophobic, and adhered equally well to strongly hydrophobic and strongly hydrophilic, polarizable surfaces. Adhesion of a single isolated gecko seta was equally effective on the hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces of a microelectro-mechanical systems force sensor. A van der Waals mechanism implies that the remarkable adhesive properties of gecko setae are merely a result of the size and shape of the tips, and are not strongly affected by surface chemistry. Theory predicts greater adhesive forces simply from subdividing setae to increase surface density, and suggests a possible design principle underlying the repeated, convergent evolution of dry adhesive microstructures in gecko, anoles, skinks, and insects. Estimates using a standard adhesion model and our measured forces come remarkably close to predicting the tip size of Tokay gecko seta. We verified the dependence on size and not surface type by using physical models of setal tips nanofabricated from two different materials. Both artificial setal tips stuck as predicted and provide a path to manufacturing the first dry, adhesive microstructures.

An oscillation free shock-capturing method for compressible van der Waals supercritical fluid flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantano, C.; Saurel, R.; Schmitt, T.

2017-01-01

Numerical solutions of the Euler equations using real gas equations of state (EOS) often exhibit serious inaccuracies. The focus here is the van der Waals EOS and its variants (often used in supercritical fluid computations). The problems are not related to a lack of convexity of the EOS since the EOS are considered in their domain of convexity at any mesh point and at any time. The difficulties appear as soon as a density discontinuity is present with the rest of the fluid in mechanical equilibrium and typically result in spurious pressure and velocity oscillations. This is reminiscent of well-known pressure oscillations occurring with ideal gas mixtures when a mass fraction discontinuity is present, which can be interpreted as a discontinuity in the EOS parameters. We are concerned with pressure oscillations that appear just for a single fluid each time a density discontinuity is present. As a result, the combination of density in a nonlinear fashion in the EOS with diffusion by the numerical method results in violation of mechanical equilibrium conditions which are not easy to eliminate, even under grid refinement.

Subsystem density functional theory with meta-generalized gradient approximation exchange-correlation functionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Śmiga, Szymon; Fabiano, Eduardo; Laricchia, Savio; Constantin, Lucian A; Della Sala, Fabio

2015-04-21

We analyze the methodology and the performance of subsystem density functional theory (DFT) with meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) exchange-correlation functionals for non-bonded molecular systems. Meta-GGA functionals depend on the Kohn-Sham kinetic energy density (KED), which is not known as an explicit functional of the density. Therefore, they cannot be directly applied in subsystem DFT calculations. We propose a Laplacian-level approximation to the KED which overcomes this limitation and provides a simple and accurate way to apply meta-GGA exchange-correlation functionals in subsystem DFT calculations. The so obtained density and energy errors, with respect to the corresponding supermolecular calculations, are comparable with conventional approaches, depending almost exclusively on the approximations in the non-additive kinetic embedding term. An embedding energy error decomposition explains the accuracy of our method.

Competition of van der Waals and chemical forces on gold–sulfur surfaces and nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reimers, Jeffrey R.; Ford, Michael J.; Marcuccio, Sebastian M.

2017-01-01

Chemists generally believe that covalent and ionic bonds form much stronger links between atoms than the van der Waals force does. However, this is not always so. We present cases in which van der Waals dispersive forces introduce new competitive bonding possibilities rather than just modulating...

Adsorption of Cu, Ag, and Au atoms on graphene including van der Waals interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amft, Martin; Eriksson, Olle; Skorodumova, Natalia V; Lebegue, Sebastien

2011-01-01

We performed a systematic density functional (DF) study of the adsorption of copper, silver, and gold adatoms on pristine graphene, especially accounting for van der Waals (vdW) interactions by the vdW-DF and PBE + D2 methods. In particular, we analyze the preferred adsorption site (among top, bridge, and hollow positions) together with the corresponding distortion of the graphene sheet and identify diffusion paths. Both vdW schemes show that the coinage metal atoms do bind to the graphene sheet and that in some cases the buckling of the graphene layer can be significant. Only the results for silver are qualitatively at variance with those obtained with the generalized gradient approximation, which gives no binding in this case. However in all three cases, we observe some quantitative differences between the vdW-DF and PBE + D2 methods. For instance the adsorption energies calculated with the PBE + D2 method are systematically higher than the ones obtained with vdW-DF. Moreover, the equilibrium distances computed with PBE + D2 are shorter than those calculated with the vdW-DF method. (paper)

Uniform magnetic fields in density-functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Tellgren, Erik I.; Laestadius, Andre; Helgaker, Trygve; Kvaal, Simen; Teale, Andrew M.

2018-01-01

We construct a density-functional formalism adapted to uniform external magnetic fields that is intermediate between conventional density functional theory and Current-Density Functional Theory (CDFT). In the intermediate theory, which we term linear vector potential-DFT (LDFT), the basic variables are the density, the canonical momentum, and the paramagnetic contribution to the magnetic moment. Both a constrained-search formulation and a convex formulation in terms of Legendre-Fenchel transformations are constructed. Many theoretical issues in CDFT find simplified analogs in LDFT. We prove results concerning N-representability, Hohenberg-Kohn-like mappings, existence of minimizers in the constrained-search expression, and a restricted analog to gauge invariance. The issue of additivity of the energy over non-interacting subsystems, which is qualitatively different in LDFT and CDFT, is also discussed.

density functional theory approach

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

YOGESH ERANDE

2017-07-27

Jul 27, 2017 ... a key role in all optical switching devices, since their optical properties can be .... optimized in the gas phase using Density Functional Theory. (DFT).39 The ...... The Mediation of Electrostatic Effects by Sol- vents J. Am. Chem.

Adsorption and ring-opening of lactide on the chiral metal surface Pt(321){sup S} studied by density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franke, J.-H.; Kosov, D. S. [Department of Physics, Campus Plaine - CP 231, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels (Belgium)

2015-01-28

We study the adsorption and ring-opening of lactide on the naturally chiral metal surface Pt(321){sup S}. Lactide is a precursor for polylactic acid ring-opening polymerization, and Pt is a well known catalyst surface. We study, here, the energetics of the ring-opening of lactide on a surface that has a high density of kink atoms. These sites are expected to be present on a realistic Pt surface and show enhanced catalytic activity. The use of a naturally chiral surface also enables us to study potential chiral selectivity effects of the reaction at the same time. Using density functional theory with a functional that includes the van der Waals forces in a first-principles manner, we find modest adsorption energies of around 1.4 eV for the pristine molecule and different ring-opened states. The energy barrier to be overcome in the ring-opening reaction is found to be very small at 0.32 eV and 0.30 eV for LL- and its chiral partner DD-lactide, respectively. These energies are much smaller than the activation energy for a dehydrogenation reaction of 0.78 eV. Our results thus indicate that (a) ring-opening reactions of lactide on Pt(321) can be expected already at very low temperatures, and Pt might be a very effective catalyst for this reaction; (b) the ring-opening reaction rate shows noticeable enantioselectivity.

Strong Correlation in Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Malet, F.; Gori Giorgi, P.

2012-01-01

We use the exact strong-interaction limit of the Hohenberg-Kohn energy density functional to approximate the exchange-correlation energy of the restricted Kohn-Sham scheme. Our approximation corresponds to a highly nonlocal density functional whose functional derivative can be easily constructed,

van der Waals interaction between a microparticle and a single-walled carbon nanotube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blagov, E. V.; Mostepanenko, V. M.; Klimchitskaya, G. L.

2007-01-01

The Lifshitz-type formulas describing the free energy and the force of the van der Waals interaction between an atom (molecule) and a single-walled carbon nanotube are obtained. The single-walled nanotube is considered as a cylindrical sheet carrying a two-dimensional free-electron gas with appropriate boundary conditions on the electromagnetic field. The obtained formulas are used to calculate the van der Waals free energy and force between a hydrogen atom (molecule) and single-walled carbon nanotubes of different radii. Comparison studies of the van der Waals interaction of hydrogen atoms with single-walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes show that depending on atom-nanotube separation distance, the idealization of graphite dielectric permittivity is already applicable to nanotubes with only two or three walls

Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory Outperforms Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory and Multireference Perturbation Theory for Ground-State and Excited-State Charge Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Soumen; Sonnenberger, Andrew L; Hoyer, Chad E; Truhlar, Donald G; Gagliardi, Laura

2015-08-11

The correct description of charge transfer in ground and excited states is very important for molecular interactions, photochemistry, electrochemistry, and charge transport, but it is very challenging for Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory (DFT). KS-DFT exchange-correlation functionals without nonlocal exchange fail to describe both ground- and excited-state charge transfer properly. We have recently proposed a theory called multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT), which is based on a combination of multiconfiguration wave function theory with a new type of density functional called an on-top density functional. Here we have used MC-PDFT to study challenging ground- and excited-state charge-transfer processes by using on-top density functionals obtained by translating KS exchange-correlation functionals. For ground-state charge transfer, MC-PDFT performs better than either the PBE exchange-correlation functional or CASPT2 wave function theory. For excited-state charge transfer, MC-PDFT (unlike KS-DFT) shows qualitatively correct behavior at long-range with great improvement in predicted excitation energies.

Functional renormalization group and Kohn-Sham scheme in density functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Haozhao; Niu, Yifei; Hatsuda, Tetsuo

2018-04-01

Deriving accurate energy density functional is one of the central problems in condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, and quantum chemistry. We propose a novel method to deduce the energy density functional by combining the idea of the functional renormalization group and the Kohn-Sham scheme in density functional theory. The key idea is to solve the renormalization group flow for the effective action decomposed into the mean-field part and the correlation part. Also, we propose a simple practical method to quantify the uncertainty associated with the truncation of the correlation part. By taking the φ4 theory in zero dimension as a benchmark, we demonstrate that our method shows extremely fast convergence to the exact result even for the highly strong coupling regime.

Density functional theory: Foundations reviewed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kryachko, Eugene S., E-mail: eugene.kryachko@ulg.ac.be [Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kiev, 03680 (Ukraine); Ludeña, Eduardo V., E-mail: popluabe@yahoo.es [Centro de Química, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, IVIC, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Prometheus Program, Senescyt (Ecuador); Grupo Ecuatoriano para el Estudio Experimental y Teórico de Nanosistemas, GETNano, USFQ, N104-E, Quito (Ecuador); Escuela Politécnica Superior del Litoral, ESPOL, Guayaquil (Ecuador)

2014-11-10

Guided by the above motto (quotation), we review a broad range of issues lying at the foundations of Density Functional Theory, DFT, a theory which is currently omnipresent in our everyday computational study of atoms and molecules, solids and nano-materials, and which lies at the heart of modern many-body computational technologies. The key goal is to demonstrate that there are definitely the ways to improve DFT. We start by considering DFT in the larger context provided by reduced density matrix theory (RDMT) and natural orbital functional theory (NOFT), and examine the implications that N-representability conditions on the second-order reduced density matrix (2-RDM) have not only on RDMT and NOFT but, also, by extension, on the functionals of DFT. This examination is timely in view of the fact that necessary and sufficient N-representability conditions on the 2-RDM have recently been attained. In the second place, we review some problems appearing in the original formulation of the first Hohenberg–Kohn theorem which is still a subject of some controversy. In this vein we recall Lieb’s comment on this proof and the extension to this proof given by Pino et al. (2009), and in this context examine the conditions that must be met in order that the one-to-one correspondence between ground-state densities and external potentials remains valid for finite subspaces (namely, the subspaces where all Kohn–Sham solutions are obtained in practical applications). We also consider the issue of whether the Kohn–Sham equations can be derived from basic principles or whether they are postulated. We examine this problem in relation to ab initio DFT. The possibility of postulating arbitrary Kohn–Sham-type equations, where the effective potential is by definition some arbitrary mixture of local and non-local terms, is discussed. We also deal with the issue of whether there exists a universal functional, or whether one should advocate instead the construction of problem

Linear scaling of density functional algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stechel, E.B.; Feibelman, P.J.; Williams, A.R.

1993-01-01

An efficient density functional algorithm (DFA) that scales linearly with system size will revolutionize electronic structure calculations. Density functional calculations are reliable and accurate in determining many condensed matter and molecular ground-state properties. However, because current DFA's, including methods related to that of Car and Parrinello, scale with the cube of the system size, density functional studies are not routinely applied to large systems. Linear scaling is achieved by constructing functions that are both localized and fully occupied, thereby eliminating the need to calculate global eigenfunctions. It is, however, widely believed that exponential localization requires the existence of an energy gap between the occupied and unoccupied states. Despite this, the authors demonstrate that linear scaling can still be achieved for metals. Using a linear scaling algorithm, they have explicitly constructed localized, almost fully occupied orbitals for the quintessential metallic system, jellium. The algorithm is readily generalizable to any system geometry and Hamiltonian. They will discuss the conceptual issues involved, convergence properties and scaling for their new algorithm

Density-Functional formalism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szasz, L.; Berrios-Pagan, I.; McGinn, G.

1975-01-01

A new Density-Functional formula is constructed for atoms. The kinetic energy of the electron is divided into two parts: the kinetic self-energy and the orthogonalization energy. Calculations were made for the total energies of neutral atoms, positive ions and for the He isoelectronic series. For neutral atoms the results match the Hartree-Fock energies within 1% for atoms with N 36 the results generally match the HF energies within 0.1%. For positive ions the results are fair; for the molecular applications a simplified model is developed in which the kinetic energy consists of the Weizsaecker term plus the Fermi energy reduced by a continuous function. (orig.) [de

Density-functional, density-functional tight-binding, and wave-function calculations on biomolecular systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kubař, Tomáš; Jurečka, Petr; Černý, Jiří; Řezáč, Jan; Otyepka, M.; Valdes, Haydee; Hobza, Pavel

2007-01-01

Roč. 111, č. 26 (2007), s. 5642-5647 ISSN 1089-5639 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC512; GA AV ČR IAA400550510; GA ČR(CZ) GD203/05/H001; GA ČR GA203/05/0009 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : density functional theory * empirical dispersion-energy term * non-covalent interactions Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.918, year: 2007

The force distribution probability function for simple fluids by density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Rickayzen, G; Heyes, D M

2013-02-28

Classical density functional theory (DFT) is used to derive a formula for the probability density distribution function, P(F), and probability distribution function, W(F), for simple fluids, where F is the net force on a particle. The final formula for P(F) ∝ exp(-AF(2)), where A depends on the fluid density, the temperature, and the Fourier transform of the pair potential. The form of the DFT theory used is only applicable to bounded potential fluids. When combined with the hypernetted chain closure of the Ornstein-Zernike equation, the DFT theory for W(F) agrees with molecular dynamics computer simulations for the Gaussian and bounded soft sphere at high density. The Gaussian form for P(F) is still accurate at lower densities (but not too low density) for the two potentials, but with a smaller value for the constant, A, than that predicted by the DFT theory.

Versatile Density Functionals for Computational Surface Science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wellendorff, Jess

Density functional theory (DFT) emerged almost 50 years ago. Since then DFT has established itself as the central electronic structure methodology for simulating atomicscale systems from a few atoms to a few hundred atoms. This success of DFT is due to a very favorable accuracy-to-computational c......Density functional theory (DFT) emerged almost 50 years ago. Since then DFT has established itself as the central electronic structure methodology for simulating atomicscale systems from a few atoms to a few hundred atoms. This success of DFT is due to a very favorable accuracy...... resampling techniques, thereby systematically avoiding problems with overfitting. The first ever density functional presenting both reliable accuracy and convincing error estimation is generated. The methodology is general enough to be applied to more complex functional forms with higher-dimensional fitting...

Self-Aligned van der Waals Heterojunction Diodes and Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangwan, Vinod K; Beck, Megan E; Henning, Alex; Luo, Jiajia; Bergeron, Hadallia; Kang, Junmo; Balla, Itamar; Inbar, Hadass; Lauhon, Lincoln J; Hersam, Mark C

2018-02-14

A general self-aligned fabrication scheme is reported here for a diverse class of electronic devices based on van der Waals materials and heterojunctions. In particular, self-alignment enables the fabrication of source-gated transistors in monolayer MoS 2 with near-ideal current saturation characteristics and channel lengths down to 135 nm. Furthermore, self-alignment of van der Waals p-n heterojunction diodes achieves complete electrostatic control of both the p-type and n-type constituent semiconductors in a dual-gated geometry, resulting in gate-tunable mean and variance of antiambipolar Gaussian characteristics. Through finite-element device simulations, the operating principles of source-gated transistors and dual-gated antiambipolar devices are elucidated, thus providing design rules for additional devices that employ self-aligned geometries. For example, the versatility of this scheme is demonstrated via contact-doped MoS 2 homojunction diodes and mixed-dimensional heterojunctions based on organic semiconductors. The scalability of this approach is also shown by fabricating self-aligned short-channel transistors with subdiffraction channel lengths in the range of 150-800 nm using photolithography on large-area MoS 2 films grown by chemical vapor deposition. Overall, this self-aligned fabrication method represents an important step toward the scalable integration of van der Waals heterojunction devices into more sophisticated circuits and systems.

Local and linear chemical reactivity response functions at finite temperature in density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franco-Pérez, Marco; Ayers, Paul W.; Gázquez, José L.; Vela, Alberto

2015-01-01

We explore the local and nonlocal response functions of the grand canonical potential density functional at nonzero temperature. In analogy to the zero-temperature treatment, local (e.g., the average electron density and the local softness) and nonlocal (e.g., the softness kernel) intrinsic response functions are defined as partial derivatives of the grand canonical potential with respect to its thermodynamic variables (i.e., the chemical potential of the electron reservoir and the external potential generated by the atomic nuclei). To define the local and nonlocal response functions of the electron density (e.g., the Fukui function, the linear density response function, and the dual descriptor), we differentiate with respect to the average electron number and the external potential. The well-known mathematical relationships between the intrinsic response functions and the electron-density responses are generalized to nonzero temperature, and we prove that in the zero-temperature limit, our results recover well-known identities from the density functional theory of chemical reactivity. Specific working equations and numerical results are provided for the 3-state ensemble model

A notable difference between ideal gas and infinite molar volume limit of van der Waals gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Q H; Shen, Y; Bai, R L; Wang, X

2010-01-01

The van der Waals equation of state does not sufficiently represent a gas unless a thermodynamic potential with two proper and independent variables is simultaneously determined. The limiting procedures under which the behaviour of the van der Waals gas approaches that of an ideal gas are letting two van der Waals coefficients be zero rather than letting the molar volume become infinitely large; otherwise, the partial derivative of internal energy with respect to pressure at a fixed temperature does not vanish.

A notable difference between ideal gas and infinite molar volume limit of van der Waals gas

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Q. H.; Shen, Y.; Bai, R. L.; Wang, X.

2010-05-01

The van der Waals equation of state does not sufficiently represent a gas unless a thermodynamic potential with two proper and independent variables is simultaneously determined. The limiting procedures under which the behaviour of the van der Waals gas approaches that of an ideal gas are letting two van der Waals coefficients be zero rather than letting the molar volume become infinitely large; otherwise, the partial derivative of internal energy with respect to pressure at a fixed temperature does not vanish.

Dipole-dipole van der Waals interaction in alkali halides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thakur, B.N.; Thakur, K.P.

1978-01-01

Values of van der Waals dipole-dipole constants and interaction energetics of alkali halides are reported using the recent data. The values obtained are somewhat larger than those of earlier workers. (orig.) [de

Density functional theory embedding for correlated wavefunctions: improved methods for open-shell systems and transition metal complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodpaster, Jason D; Barnes, Taylor A; Manby, Frederick R; Miller, Thomas F

2012-12-14

Density functional theory (DFT) embedding provides a formally exact framework for interfacing correlated wave-function theory (WFT) methods with lower-level descriptions of electronic structure. Here, we report techniques to improve the accuracy and stability of WFT-in-DFT embedding calculations. In particular, we develop spin-dependent embedding potentials in both restricted and unrestricted orbital formulations to enable WFT-in-DFT embedding for open-shell systems, and develop an orbital-occupation-freezing technique to improve the convergence of optimized effective potential calculations that arise in the evaluation of the embedding potential. The new techniques are demonstrated in applications to the van-der-Waals-bound ethylene-propylene dimer and to the hexa-aquairon(II) transition-metal cation. Calculation of the dissociation curve for the ethylene-propylene dimer reveals that WFT-in-DFT embedding reproduces full CCSD(T) energies to within 0.1 kcal/mol at all distances, eliminating errors in the dispersion interactions due to conventional exchange-correlation (XC) functionals while simultaneously avoiding errors due to subsystem partitioning across covalent bonds. Application of WFT-in-DFT embedding to the calculation of the low-spin/high-spin splitting energy in the hexaaquairon(II) cation reveals that the majority of the dependence on the DFT XC functional can be eliminated by treating only the single transition-metal atom at the WFT level; furthermore, these calculations demonstrate the substantial effects of open-shell contributions to the embedding potential, and they suggest that restricted open-shell WFT-in-DFT embedding provides better accuracy than unrestricted open-shell WFT-in-DFT embedding due to the removal of spin contamination.

Supersonic molecular beam electric resonance spectroscopy and van der Waals molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luftman, H.S.

1982-09-01

A supersonic molecular beam electric resonance (MBER) spectrometer was built to study the radiofrequency spectra of weakly bound gas phase van der Waals molecules. The instrument and its operating characteristics are described in detail. Sample mass spectra of Ar-ClF gas mixtures are also presented as an illustration of the synthesis of van der Waals molecules. The Stark focusing process for linear polar molecules is discussed and computer-simulated using both second order perturbation and variational methods. Experimental refocusing spectra of OCS and ClF are studied and compared with these trajectory calculations. Though quantitative fitting is poor, there are strong qualitative indicators that the central part of a supersonic beam consists of molecules with a significantly greater population in the lowest energy rotational states than generally assumed. Flop in as opposed to flop out resonance signals for OCS are also numerically predicted and observed. The theoretical properties of the MBER spectrum for linear molecules are elaborated upon with special emphasis on line shape considerations. MBER spectra of OCS and ClF under a variety of conditions are presented and discussed in context to these predictions. There is some uncertainty expressed both in our own modeling and in the manner complex MBER spectra have been analyzed in the past. Finally, an electrostatic potential model is used to quantitatively describe the class of van der Waals molecules Ar-MX, where MX is an alkali halide. Energetics and equilibrium geometries are calculated. The validity of using an electrostatic model to predict van der Waals bond properties is critically discussed

Nucleotide insertion initiated by van der Waals interaction during ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

renormalized van der Waals (vdW) interaction of a stronger type, the ..... can be used to determine the electrostatic dipole–dipole, .... water molecule and a surface oxygen atom. ..... understand proteins electronic interaction.54 Here, we.

A Safari Through Density Functional Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Dreizler, Reiner M.; Lüdde, Cora S.

Density functional theory is widely used to treat quantum many body problems in many areas of physics and related fields. A brief survey of this method covering foundations, functionals and applications is presented here.

Comparison of exact-exchange calculations for solids in current-spin-density- and spin-density-functional theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharma, S.; Pittalis, S.; Kurth, S.

2007-01-01

The relative merits of current-spin-density- and spin-density-functional theory are investigated for solids treated within the exact-exchange-only approximation. Spin-orbit splittings and orbital magnetic moments are determined at zero external magnetic field. We find that for magnetic (Fe, Co......, and Ni) and nonmagnetic (Si and Ge) solids, the exact-exchange current-spin-density functional approach does not significantly improve the accuracy of the corresponding spin-density functional results....

Atomic layer MoS2-graphene van der Waals heterostructure nanomechanical resonators.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Fan; Lee, Jaesung; Feng, Philip X-L

2017-11-30

Heterostructures play significant roles in modern semiconductor devices and micro/nanosystems in a plethora of applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and transducers. While state-of-the-art heterostructures often involve stacks of crystalline epi-layers each down to a few nanometers thick, the intriguing limit would be hetero-atomic-layer structures. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of freestanding van der Waals heterostructures and their functional nanomechanical devices. By stacking single-layer (1L) MoS 2 on top of suspended single-, bi-, tri- and four-layer (1L to 4L) graphene sheets, we realize an array of MoS 2 -graphene heterostructures with varying thickness and size. These heterostructures all exhibit robust nanomechanical resonances in the very high frequency (VHF) band (up to ∼100 MHz). We observe that fundamental-mode resonance frequencies of the heterostructure devices fall between the values of graphene and MoS 2 devices. Quality (Q) factors of heterostructure resonators are lower than those of graphene but comparable to those of MoS 2 devices, suggesting interface damping related to interlayer interactions in the van der Waals heterostructures. This study validates suspended atomic layer heterostructures as an effective device platform and provides opportunities for exploiting mechanically coupled effects and interlayer interactions in such devices.

Dynamical density functional theory for dense atomic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archer, A J

2006-01-01

Starting from Newton's equations of motion, we derive a dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) applicable to atomic liquids. The theory has the feature that it requires as input the Helmholtz free energy functional from equilibrium density functional theory. This means that, given a reliable equilibrium free energy functional, the correct equilibrium fluid density profile is guaranteed. We show that when the isothermal compressibility is small, the DDFT generates the correct value for the speed of sound in a dense liquid. We also interpret the theory as a dynamical equation for a coarse grained fluid density and show that the theory can be used (making further approximations) to derive the standard mode coupling theory that is used to describe the glass transition. The present theory should provide a useful starting point for describing the dynamics of inhomogeneous atomic fluids

Constructive definition of functional derivatives in density-functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Ji

2006-01-01

It is shown that the functional derivatives in density-functional theory (DFT) can be explicitly defined within the domain of electron densities restricted by the electron number, and a constructive definition of such restricted derivatives is suggested. With this definition, Kohn-Sham (KS) equations can be established for an N-electron system without extending the functional domain and introducing a Lagrange multiplier. This may clarify some of the fundamental questions raised by Nesbet (1998 Phys. Rev. A 58 R12). The definition naturally leads to the fact that the KS effective potential is determined only to within an additive constant, thus the KS levels can shift freely and the relation between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy and the ionization potential of the system depends on the choice of the constant. On the other hand, if the domain of functionals is indeed extended beyond the electron number restriction, conclusions depend on whether the extended functionals have unrestricted derivatives or not. It is shown that the ensemble extension of DFT to open systems of mixed states (Perdew et al 1982 Phys. Rev. Lett. 49 1691) leads to an energy functional which has no unrestricted derivative at integer electron numbers. Hence after this extension, the relation between the HOMO energy and the ionization potential for an N-electron system is still uncertain. Besides, there are different extensions of the energy functional to a domain of densities unrestricted by the integer electron number, resulting in different unrestricted derivatives and electron systems with different chemical potentials. Even for the exact exchange-correlation potential, there is still an undetermined constant, whether it is a restricted or unrestricted derivative

Density functional theory in quantum chemistry

CERN Document Server

Tsuneda, Takao

2014-01-01

This book examines density functional theory based on the foundation of quantum chemistry. Unconventional in approach, it reviews basic concepts, then describes the physical meanings of state-of-the-art exchange-correlation functionals and their corrections.

Comment on 'Kinetic energy as a density functional'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holas, A.; March, N.H.

2002-01-01

In a recent paper, Nesbet [Phys. Rev. A 65, 010502(R) (2001)] has proposed dropping ''the widespread but unjustified assumption that the existence of a ground-state density functional for the kinetic energy, T s [ρ], of an N-electron system implies the existence of a density-functional derivative, δT s [ρ]/δρ(r), equivalent to a local potential function,'' because, according to his arguments, this derivative 'has the mathematical character of a linear operator that acts on orbital wave functions'. Our Comment demonstrates that the statement called by Nesbet an 'unjustified assumption' happens, in fact, to be a rigorously proven theorem. Therefore, his previous conclusions stemming from his different view of this derivative, which undermined the foundations of density-functional theory, can be discounted

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND DENSITY FUNCTIONAL ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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We synthesized a number of aniline derivatives containing acyl groups to compare their barriers of rotation around ... KEY WORDS: Monoacyl aniline, Synthesis, Density functional theory, Rotation barrier. INTRODUCTION. Developments in ...

Density functional approach to the many-body problem : Key concepts and exact functionals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, Robert

2003-01-01

We give an overview of the fundamental concepts of density functional theory. We give a careful discussion of the several density functionals and their differentiability properties. We show that for nondegenerate ground states we can calculate the necessary functional derivatives by means of linear

Extended screened exchange functional derived from transcorrelated density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Umezawa, Naoto

2017-09-14

We propose a new formulation of the correlation energy functional derived from the transcorrelated method in use in density functional theory (TC-DFT). An effective Hamiltonian, H TC , is introduced by a similarity transformation of a many-body Hamiltonian, H, with respect to a complex function F: H TC =1FHF. It is proved that an expectation value of H TC for a normalized single Slater determinant, D n , corresponds to the total energy: E[n] = ⟨Ψ n |H|Ψ n ⟩/⟨Ψ n |Ψ n ⟩ = ⟨D n |H TC |D n ⟩ under the two assumptions: (1) The electron density nr associated with a trial wave function Ψ n = D n F is v-representable and (2) Ψ n and D n give rise to the same electron density nr. This formulation, therefore, provides an alternative expression of the total energy that is useful for the development of novel correlation energy functionals. By substituting a specific function for F, we successfully derived a model correlation energy functional, which resembles the functional form of the screened exchange method. The proposed functional, named the extended screened exchange (ESX) functional, is described within two-body integrals and is parametrized for a numerically exact correlation energy of the homogeneous electron gas. The ESX functional does not contain any ingredients of (semi-)local functionals and thus is totally free from self-interactions. The computational cost for solving the self-consistent-field equation is comparable to that of the Hartree-Fock method. We apply the ESX functional to electronic structure calculations for a solid silicon, H - ion, and small atoms. The results demonstrate that the TC-DFT formulation is promising for the systematic improvement of the correlation energy functional.

Quantum Crystallography: Density Matrix-Density Functional Theory and the X-Ray Diffraction Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Soirat, Arnaud J. A.

Density Matrix Theory is a Quantum Mechanical formalism in which the wavefunction is eliminated and its role taken over by reduced density matrices. The interest of this is that, it allows one, in principle, to calculate any electronic property of a physical system, without having to solve the Schrodinger equation, using only two entities much simpler than an N-body wavefunction: first and second -order reduced density matrices. In practice, though, this very promising possibility faces the tremendous theoretical problem of N-representability, which has been solved for the former, but, until now, voids any hope of theoretically determining the latter. However, it has been shown that single determinant reduced density matrices of any order may be recovered from coherent X-ray diffraction data, if one provides a proper Quantum Mechanical description of the Crystallography experiment. A deeper investigation of this method is the purpose of this work, where we, first, further study the calculation of X-ray reduced density matrices N-representable by a single Slater determinant. In this context, we independently derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the uniqueness of the method. We then show how to account for electron correlation in this model. For the first time, indeed, we derive highly accurate, yet practical, density matrices approximately N-representable by correlated-determinant wavefunctions. The interest of such a result lies in the Quantum Mechanical validity of these density matrices, their property of being entirely obtainable from X-ray coherent diffraction data, their very high accuracy conferred by this known property of the N-representing wavefunction, as well as their definition as explicit functionals of the density. All of these properties are finally used in both a theoretical and a numerical application: in the former, we show that these density matrices may be used in the context of Density Functional Theory to highly accurately determine

Density functional theory of nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terasaki, Jun

2008-01-01

The density functional theory of nuclei has come to draw attention of scientists in the field of nuclear structure because the theory is expected to provide reliable numerical data in wide range on the nuclear chart. This article is organized to present an overview of the theory to the people engaged in the theory of other fields as well as those people in the nuclear physics experiments. At first, the outline of the density functional theory widely used in the electronic systems (condensed matter, atoms, and molecules) was described starting from the Kohn-Sham equation derived on the variational principle. Then the theory used in the field of nuclear physics was presented. Hartree-Fock and Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov approximation by using Skyrme interaction was explained. Comparison of the results of calculations and experiments of binding energies and ground state mean square charge radii of some magic number nuclei were shown. The similarity and dissimilarity between the two streams were summarized. Finally the activities of the international project of Universal Nuclear Energy Density Functional (UNEDF) which was started recently lead by US scientist was reported. This project is programmed for five years. One of the applications of the project is the calculation of the neutron capture cross section of nuclei on the r-process, which is absolutely necessary for the nucleosynthesis research. (S. Funahashi)

Optimal Bandwidth Selection for Kernel Density Functionals Estimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The choice of bandwidth is crucial to the kernel density estimation (KDE and kernel based regression. Various bandwidth selection methods for KDE and local least square regression have been developed in the past decade. It has been known that scale and location parameters are proportional to density functionals ∫γ(xf2(xdx with appropriate choice of γ(x and furthermore equality of scale and location tests can be transformed to comparisons of the density functionals among populations. ∫γ(xf2(xdx can be estimated nonparametrically via kernel density functionals estimation (KDFE. However, the optimal bandwidth selection for KDFE of ∫γ(xf2(xdx has not been examined. We propose a method to select the optimal bandwidth for the KDFE. The idea underlying this method is to search for the optimal bandwidth by minimizing the mean square error (MSE of the KDFE. Two main practical bandwidth selection techniques for the KDFE of ∫γ(xf2(xdx are provided: Normal scale bandwidth selection (namely, “Rule of Thumb” and direct plug-in bandwidth selection. Simulation studies display that our proposed bandwidth selection methods are superior to existing density estimation bandwidth selection methods in estimating density functionals.

High-density equation of state for helium and its application to bubbles in solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfer, W.G.

1980-06-01

Helium, produced by transmutations or injected, causes bubble formation in solids at elevated temperatures. For small bubbles, the gas pressure required to balance the surface tension reaches values which far exceed those obtainable in experiments to measure the equation of state for helium gas. Therefore, empirical gas laws cannot be considered applicable to the fluid-like densities existing in small bubbles. In order to remedy this situation, an equation of state for helium was developed from the theory of the liquid state. At very low densities, this theoretically derived equation of state agrees with experimental results. For high densities, however, gas pressures are predicted which are significantly higher than those derived from the ideal gas law, but also significantly lower than pressures obtained with the van der Waals law. When applied to equilibrium bubbles in solids, it is found that the high-density equation of state leads to less bubble swelling than the van der Waals law, but more than the ideal gas law. Furthermore, the number of helium atoms in equilibrium bubbles is nearly independent of temperature

Contribution of the covalent and the Van der Waals force to the nuclear binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosina, M.; Povh, B.

1994-01-01

The contribution of the covalent and the Van der Waals force to the nuclear binding is estimated in a simplified model for medium distance of about 1 fm. It is shown how colour effects suppress these two forces as compared to the case of the forces between atoms. The covalent and the Van der Waals force represent a minor though noticeable component of the nuclear force. (orig.)

Current Density Functional Theory Using Meta-Generalized Gradient Exchange-Correlation Functionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Furness, James W; Verbeke, Joachim; Tellgren, Erik I; Stopkowicz, Stella; Ekström, Ulf; Helgaker, Trygve; Teale, Andrew M

2015-09-08

We present the self-consistent implementation of current-dependent (hybrid) meta-generalized gradient approximation (mGGA) density functionals using London atomic orbitals. A previously proposed generalized kinetic energy density is utilized to implement mGGAs in the framework of Kohn-Sham current density functional theory (KS-CDFT). A unique feature of the nonperturbative implementation of these functionals is the ability to seamlessly explore a wide range of magnetic fields up to 1 au (∼235 kT) in strength. CDFT functionals based on the TPSS and B98 forms are investigated, and their performance is assessed by comparison with accurate coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples (CCSD(T)) data. In the weak field regime, magnetic properties such as magnetizabilities and nuclear magnetic resonance shielding constants show modest but systematic improvements over generalized gradient approximations (GGA). However, in the strong field regime, the mGGA-based forms lead to a significantly improved description of the recently proposed perpendicular paramagnetic bonding mechanism, comparing well with CCSD(T) data. In contrast to functionals based on the vorticity, these forms are found to be numerically stable, and their accuracy at high field suggests that the extension of mGGAs to CDFT via the generalized kinetic energy density should provide a useful starting point for further development of CDFT approximations.

On the validity of Brownian assumptions in the spin van der Waals model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Suhk Kun

1985-01-01

A simple Brownian motion theory of the spin van der Waals model, which can be stationary, Markoffian or Gaussian, is studied. By comparing the Brownian motion theory with an exact theory called the generalized Langevin equation theory, the validity of the Brownian assumptions is tested. Thereby, it is shown explicitly how the Markoffian and Gaussian properties are modified in the spin van der Waals model under the influence of quantum fluctuations and long range ordering. (Author)

Comments on the locality in density-functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindgren, Ingvar; Salomonson, Sten

2003-01-01

The 'locality hypothesis' in density-functional theory (DFT), implying that the functional derivative is equivalent to a multiplicative local function, forms the basis of models of Kohn-Sham type. This has been generally accepted by the community since the advent of the model, and has later been formally proved for a large class of functionals. The hypothesis has recently been questioned by Nesbet [Phys. Rev. A 58, R12 (1998) and Phys. Rev. A 65, 010502 (2001)], who claims that it fails for the kinetic-energy functional for a system with more than two noninteracting electrons with a nondegenerate ground state. This conclusion has been questioned by Gal [Phys. Rev. A 62, 044501 (2000)] and by Holas and March [Phys. Rev. A 64, 016501 (2001)]. We claim that the arguments of Nesbet are incorrect, since the orbital functional used for the kinetic energy is not a unique functional of the total density in the domain of unnormalized orbitals. We have demonstrated that with a proper definition of the kinetic energy, which is a unique density functional also in the unnormalized region, the derivative can be represented by a single local multiplicative function for all v-representable densities. Therefore, we consider the controversy connected with the issue raised by Nesbet as resolved. We believe that the proof of the differentiability given here can be extended to larger groups of DFT functionals, and works along these lines are in progress

Adsorption and oxidation of oxalic acid on anatase TiO2 (001) surface: A density functional theory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Tao; Wang, Yun; Zhang, Haimin; Liu, Porun; Zhao, Huijun

2015-09-15

Anatase TiO2 (001) surfaces have attracted great interest for photo-degradation of organic species recently due to their high reactivity. In this work, adsorption properties and oxidation mechanisms of oxalic acid on the anatase TiO2 (001) surface have been theoretically investigated using the first-principles density functional theory. Various possible adsorption configurations are considered by diversifying the connectivity of carboxylic groups with the surface. It is found that the adsorption of oxalic acid on the anatase (001) surface prefer the dissociative states. A novel double-bidentate configuration has been found due to the structural match between oxalic acid and the (001) surface. More charge is transferred from the adsorbed oxalic acid to the surface with the double-bidentate configuration when comparing with other adsorption structures. Thus, there is a positive correlation relationship between the transferred charge amount and the interfacial bond numbers when oxalic acid adsorbs on the anatase TiO2 (001) surface. The adsorption energies with dispersion corrections have demonstrated that the van der Waals interactions play an important role in the adsorption, especially when adsorbates are close to the surface. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trivial constraints on orbital-free kinetic energy density functionals

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Kai; Trickey, S. B.

2018-03-01

Approximate kinetic energy density functionals (KEDFs) are central to orbital-free density functional theory. Limitations on the spatial derivative dependencies of KEDFs have been claimed from differential virial theorems. We identify a central defect in the argument: the relationships are not true for an arbitrary density but hold only for the minimizing density and corresponding chemical potential. Contrary to the claims therefore, the relationships are not constraints and provide no independent information about the spatial derivative dependencies of approximate KEDFs. A simple argument also shows that validity for arbitrary v-representable densities is not restored by appeal to the density-potential bijection.

Energy transfer rates in inhomogeneous van der Waals clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desfrancois, C.; Schermann, J.P.

1991-01-01

The internal energy exchange inside an inhomogeneous van der Waals cluster are investigated by means of molecular dynamic calculations. The very long time scales for relaxation of the high frequency degrees of freedom are examined within the framework of Nekhoroshev's theorem. (orig.)

Self-consistent embedding of density-matrix renormalization group wavefunctions in a density functional environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresselhaus, Thomas; Neugebauer, Johannes; Knecht, Stefan; Keller, Sebastian; Ma, Yingjin; Reiher, Markus

2015-01-28

We present the first implementation of a density matrix renormalization group algorithm embedded in an environment described by density functional theory. The frozen density embedding scheme is used with a freeze-and-thaw strategy for a self-consistent polarization of the orbital-optimized wavefunction and the environmental densities with respect to each other.

Rydberg energies using excited state density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, C.-L.; Wu Qin; Van Voorhis, Troy

2008-01-01

We utilize excited state density functional theory (eDFT) to study Rydberg states in atoms. We show both analytically and numerically that semilocal functionals can give quite reasonable Rydberg energies from eDFT, even in cases where time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) fails catastrophically. We trace these findings to the fact that in eDFT the Kohn-Sham potential for each state is computed using the appropriate excited state density. Unlike the ground state potential, which typically falls off exponentially, the sequence of excited state potentials has a component that falls off polynomially with distance, leading to a Rydberg-type series. We also address the rigorous basis of eDFT for these systems. Perdew and Levy have shown using the constrained search formalism that every stationary density corresponds, in principle, to an exact stationary state of the full many-body Hamiltonian. In the present context, this means that the excited state DFT solutions are rigorous as long as they deliver the minimum noninteracting kinetic energy for the given density. We use optimized effective potential techniques to show that, in some cases, the eDFT Rydberg solutions appear to deliver the minimum kinetic energy because the associated density is not pure state v-representable. We thus find that eDFT plays a complementary role to constrained DFT: The former works only if the excited state density is not the ground state of some potential while the latter applies only when the density is a ground state density.

A Componentwise Convex Splitting Scheme for Diffuse Interface Models with Van der Waals and Peng--Robinson Equations of State

KAUST Repository

Fan, Xiaolin

2017-01-19

This paper presents a componentwise convex splitting scheme for numerical simulation of multicomponent two-phase fluid mixtures in a closed system at constant temperature, which is modeled by a diffuse interface model equipped with the Van der Waals and the Peng-Robinson equations of state (EoS). The Van der Waals EoS has a rigorous foundation in physics, while the Peng-Robinson EoS is more accurate for hydrocarbon mixtures. First, the phase field theory of thermodynamics and variational calculus are applied to a functional minimization problem of the total Helmholtz free energy. Mass conservation constraints are enforced through Lagrange multipliers. A system of chemical equilibrium equations is obtained which is a set of second-order elliptic equations with extremely strong nonlinear source terms. The steady state equations are transformed into a transient system as a numerical strategy on which the scheme is based. The proposed numerical algorithm avoids the indefiniteness of the Hessian matrix arising from the second-order derivative of homogeneous contribution of total Helmholtz free energy; it is also very efficient. This scheme is unconditionally componentwise energy stable and naturally results in unconditional stability for the Van der Waals model. For the Peng-Robinson EoS, it is unconditionally stable through introducing a physics-preserving correction term, which is analogous to the attractive term in the Van der Waals EoS. An efficient numerical algorithm is provided to compute the coefficient in the correction term. Finally, some numerical examples are illustrated to verify the theoretical results and efficiency of the established algorithms. The numerical results match well with laboratory data.

Covariant Density Functionals: time-odd channel investigated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanasjev, A. V.; Abusara, H.

2009-01-01

The description of exotic nuclear systems and phenomena requires a detailed understanding of all channels of density functional theories. The role of time-odd mean fields, their evidence in experiment, and an accurate description of these fields are subject of current interest. Recent studies advanced the understanding of these fields in energy density functional theories based on the Skyrme force [1,2]. Time-odd mean fields are related to nuclear magnetism in covariant density functional (CDF) theories [3]. They arise from space-like components of vector mesons and Lorentz invariance requires that their coupling strengths are identical to that of time-like components. There were only few limited efforts to understand the role of time-odd mean fields in covariant density functional theory [4,5]. For example, the microscopic role of nuclear magnetism and its impact on rotational properties of nuclei has been studied in Ref. [5]. It is known that time-odd mean fields modify the angular momentum content of the single-particle orbitals and thus the moments of inertia, effective alignments, alignment gains at the band crossings and other physical observables. We aim on more detailed and systematic understanding of the role of time-odd mean fields in covariant density functional theory. This investigation covers both rotating and non-rotating systems. It is shown that contrary to the Skyrme energy density functionals time-odd mean fields of CDF theory always provide additional binding in the systems with broken time-reversal symmetry (rotating nuclei, odd mass nuclei). This additional binding increases with spin and has its maximum exactly at the terminating state [6], where it can reach several MeV. The impact of time-odd mean fields on the properties of rotating systems has been studied in a systematic way (as a function of particle number and deformation) across the nuclear chart [7]. In addition, this contribution extends these studies to non-rotating systems such as

Probing low-energy hyperbolic polaritons in van der Waals crystals with an electron microscope

KAUST Repository

Govyadinov, Alexander A.

2017-07-14

Van der Waals materials exhibit intriguing structural, electronic, and photonic properties. Electron energy loss spectroscopy within scanning transmission electron microscopy allows for nanoscale mapping of such properties. However, its detection is typically limited to energy losses in the eV range-too large for probing low-energy excitations such as phonons or mid-infrared plasmons. Here, we adapt a conventional instrument to probe energy loss down to 100 meV, and map phononic states in hexagonal boron nitride, a representative van der Waals material. The boron nitride spectra depend on the flake thickness and on the distance of the electron beam to the flake edges. To explain these observations, we developed a classical response theory that describes the interaction of fast electrons with (anisotropic) van der Waals slabs, revealing that the electron energy loss is dominated by excitation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons, and not of bulk phonons as often reported. Thus, our work is of fundamental importance for interpreting future low-energy loss spectra of van der Waals materials.Here the authors adapt a STEM-EELS system to probe energy loss down to 100 meV, and apply it to map phononic states in hexagonal boron nitride, revealing that the electron loss is dominated by hyperbolic phonon polaritons.

Probing low-energy hyperbolic polaritons in van der Waals crystals with an electron microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Govyadinov, Alexander A; Konečná, Andrea; Chuvilin, Andrey; Vélez, Saül; Dolado, Irene; Nikitin, Alexey Y; Lopatin, Sergei; Casanova, Fèlix; Hueso, Luis E; Aizpurua, Javier; Hillenbrand, Rainer

2017-07-21

Van der Waals materials exhibit intriguing structural, electronic, and photonic properties. Electron energy loss spectroscopy within scanning transmission electron microscopy allows for nanoscale mapping of such properties. However, its detection is typically limited to energy losses in the eV range-too large for probing low-energy excitations such as phonons or mid-infrared plasmons. Here, we adapt a conventional instrument to probe energy loss down to 100 meV, and map phononic states in hexagonal boron nitride, a representative van der Waals material. The boron nitride spectra depend on the flake thickness and on the distance of the electron beam to the flake edges. To explain these observations, we developed a classical response theory that describes the interaction of fast electrons with (anisotropic) van der Waals slabs, revealing that the electron energy loss is dominated by excitation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons, and not of bulk phonons as often reported. Thus, our work is of fundamental importance for interpreting future low-energy loss spectra of van der Waals materials.Here the authors adapt a STEM-EELS system to probe energy loss down to 100 meV, and apply it to map phononic states in hexagonal boron nitride, revealing that the electron loss is dominated by hyperbolic phonon polaritons.

Probing low-energy hyperbolic polaritons in van der Waals crystals with an electron microscope

KAUST Repository

Govyadinov, Alexander A.; Konečná , Andrea; Chuvilin, Andrey; Vé lez, Saü l; Dolado, Irene; Nikitin, Alexey Y.; Lopatin, Sergei; Casanova, Fè lix; Hueso, Luis E.; Aizpurua, Javier; Hillenbrand, Rainer

2017-01-01

Van der Waals materials exhibit intriguing structural, electronic, and photonic properties. Electron energy loss spectroscopy within scanning transmission electron microscopy allows for nanoscale mapping of such properties. However, its detection is typically limited to energy losses in the eV range-too large for probing low-energy excitations such as phonons or mid-infrared plasmons. Here, we adapt a conventional instrument to probe energy loss down to 100 meV, and map phononic states in hexagonal boron nitride, a representative van der Waals material. The boron nitride spectra depend on the flake thickness and on the distance of the electron beam to the flake edges. To explain these observations, we developed a classical response theory that describes the interaction of fast electrons with (anisotropic) van der Waals slabs, revealing that the electron energy loss is dominated by excitation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons, and not of bulk phonons as often reported. Thus, our work is of fundamental importance for interpreting future low-energy loss spectra of van der Waals materials.Here the authors adapt a STEM-EELS system to probe energy loss down to 100 meV, and apply it to map phononic states in hexagonal boron nitride, revealing that the electron loss is dominated by hyperbolic phonon polaritons.

Density functional theory of the electrical double layer: the RFD functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillespie, Dirk; Valisko, Monika; Boda, Dezso

2005-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) of electrolytes is applied to the electrical double layer under a wide range of conditions. The ions are charged, hard spheres of different size and valence, and the wall creating the double layer is uncharged, weakly charged, and strongly charged. Under all conditions, the density and electrostatic potential profiles calculated using the recently proposed RFD electrostatic functional (Gillespie et al 2002 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 14 12129; 2003 Phys. Rev. E 68 031503) compare well to Monte Carlo simulations. When the wall is strongly charged, the RFD functional results agree with the results of a simpler perturbative electrostatic DFT, but the two functionals' results qualitatively disagree when the wall is uncharged or weakly charged. The RFD functional reproduces these phenomena of weakly charged double layers. It also reproduces bulk thermodynamic quantities calculated from pair correlation functions

The role of the anionic and cationic pt sites in the adsorption site preference of water and ethanol on defected Pt4/Pt(111) substrates: A density functional theory investigation within the D3 van der waals corrections

Science.gov (United States)

Seminovski, Yohanna; Amaral, Rafael C.; Tereshchuk, Polina; Da Silva, Juarez L. F.

2018-01-01

Platinum (Pt) atoms in the bulk face-centered cubic structure have neutral charge because they are equivalent by symmetry, however, in clean Pt surfaces, the effective charge on Pt atoms can turn slightly negative (anionic) or positive (cationic) while increasing substantially in magnitude for defected (low-coordinated) Pt sites. The effective charge affect the adsorption properties of molecular species on Pt surfaces and it can compete in importance with the coupling of the substrate-molecule electronic states. Although several studies have been reported due to the importance of Pt for catalysis, our understanding of the role played by low-coordinated sites is still limited. Here, we employ density functional theory within the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof exchange-correlation functional and the D3 van der Waals (vdW) correction to investigate the role of the cationic and anionic Pt sites on the adsorption properties of ethanol and water on defected Pt4/Pt(111) substrates. Four substrates were carefully selected, namely, two two-dimensional (2D) Pt4 configurations (2D-strand and 2D-island) and two tri-dimensional (3D) Pt4 (3D-fcc and 3D-hcp), to understand the role of coordination, effective charge, and coupling of the electronic states in the adsorption properties. From the Bader charge analysis, we identified the cationic and anionic sites among the Pt atoms exposed to the vacuum region in the Pt4/Pt(111) substrates. We found that ethanol and water bind via the anionic O atoms to the low-coordinated defected Pt sites of the substrates, where the angle PtOH is nearly 100° for most configurations. In the 3D-fcc or 3D-hcp defected configurations, the lowest-coordinated Pt atoms are anionic, hence, those Pt sites are not preferable for the adsorption of O atoms. The charge transfer from water and ethanol to the Pt substrates has similar magnitude for all cases, which implies similar Coulomb contribution to the adsorption energy. Moreover, we found a correlation of the

Orthogonal bases of radial functions for charge density refinements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Restori, R.

1990-01-01

Charge density determination from X-ray measurements necessitates the evaluation of the Fourier-Bessel transforms of the radial functions used to expand the charge density. Analytical expressions are given here for four sets of orthogonal functions which can substitute for the 'traditional exponential functions' set in least-squares refinements. (orig.)

The hot pick-up technique for batch assembly of van der Waals heterostructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pizzocchero, Filippo; Gammelgaard, Lene; Jessen, Bjarke Sørensen

2016-01-01

The assembly of individual two-dimensional materials into van der Waals heterostructures enables the construction of layered three-dimensional materials with desirable electronic and optical properties. A core problem in the fabrication of these structures is the formation of clean interfaces...... between the individual two-dimensional materials which would affect device performance. We present here a technique for the rapid batch fabrication of van der Waals heterostructures, demonstrated by the controlled production of 22 mono-, bi- and trilayer graphene stacks encapsulated in hexagonal boron...

Time-dependent density-functional tight-binding method with the third-order expansion of electron density.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimoto, Yoshio

2015-09-07

We develop a formalism for the calculation of excitation energies and excited state gradients for the self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding method with the third-order contributions of a Taylor series of the density functional theory energy with respect to the fluctuation of electron density (time-dependent density-functional tight-binding (TD-DFTB3)). The formulation of the excitation energy is based on the existing time-dependent density functional theory and the older TD-DFTB2 formulae. The analytical gradient is computed by solving Z-vector equations, and it requires one to calculate the third-order derivative of the total energy with respect to density matrix elements due to the inclusion of the third-order contributions. The comparison of adiabatic excitation energies for selected small and medium-size molecules using the TD-DFTB2 and TD-DFTB3 methods shows that the inclusion of the third-order contributions does not affect excitation energies significantly. A different set of parameters, which are optimized for DFTB3, slightly improves the prediction of adiabatic excitation energies statistically. The application of TD-DFTB for the prediction of absorption and fluorescence energies of cresyl violet demonstrates that TD-DFTB3 reproduced the experimental fluorescence energy quite well.

Effects of the van der Waals Force on the Dynamics Performance for a Micro Resonant Pressure Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lizhong Xu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The micro resonant pressure sensor outputs the frequency signals where the distortion does not take place in a long distance transmission. As the dimensions of the sensor decrease, the effects of the van der Waals forces should be considered. Here, a coupled dynamic model of the micro resonant pressure sensor is proposed and its coupled dynamic equation is given in which the van der Waals force is considered. By the equation, the effects of the van der Waals force on the natural frequencies and vibration amplitudes of the micro resonant pressure sensor are investigated. Results show that the natural frequency and the vibrating amplitudes of the micro resonant pressure sensor are affected significantly by van der Waals force for a small clearance between the film and the base plate, a small initial tension stress of the film, and some other conditions.

Energy vs. density on paths toward exact density functionals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kepp, Kasper Planeta

2018-01-01

Recently, the progression toward more exact density functional theory has been questioned, implying a need for more formal ways to systematically measure progress, i.e. a “path”. Here I use the Hohenberg-Kohn theorems and the definition of normality by Burke et al. to define a path toward exactness...

Many body effects in the van der Waals force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, P.; Claro, F.

1985-08-01

A classical model of fluctuating dipoles is proposed for the evaluation of many-body effects in the van der Waals force between neutral polarizable particles. The method is applied to solid xenon giving the correct low temperature stable structure, unlike the usual two-body potential result. (author)

Infrared photodissociation of van der Waals molecules containing ethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casassa, M.P.; Bomse, D.S.; Janda, K.C.

1981-01-01

Vibrational predissociation line shapes in the n 7 region of the ethylene spectrum are measured for van der Waals molecules of ethylene bound to Ne, Ar, Kr, C 2 H 4 , C 2 F 4 , and larger ethylene clusters. The predissociative rate is very fast for this group of molecules. The vibrationally excited state lifetimes are 0.44, 0.59 and 0.89 x 10 -12 sec for (C 2 H 4 ) 2 , ArxC 2 H 4 , and C 2 H 4 xC 2 F 4 respectively. That the observed line shapes are homogeneous is demonstrated by the fact that a low-power, narrow frequency bandwidth laser can dissociate a large fraction of the initial ensemble of ethylene clusters. The observed transition probability is proportional to the number of ethylene subunits for clusters containing three or fewer ethylene subunits. These observations are interpreted in terms of intramolecular energy flow directly from ethylene n 7 to the weak van der Waals modes of motion

Lifshitz-type formulas for graphene and single-wall carbon nanotubes: van der Waals and Casimir interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordag, M.; Geyer, B.; Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.

2006-01-01

Lifshitz-type formulas are obtained for the van der Waals and Casimir interaction between graphene and a material plate, graphene and an atom or a molecule, and between a single-wall carbon nanotube and a plate. The reflection properties of electromagnetic oscillations on graphene are governed by the specific boundary conditions imposed on the infinitely thin positively charged plasma sheet, carrying a continuous fluid with some mass and charge density. The obtained formulas are applied to graphene interacting with Au and Si plates, to hydrogen atoms and molecules interacting with graphene, and to single-wall carbon nanotubes interacting with Au and Si plates. The generalizations to more complicated carbon nanostructures are discussed

Multicomponent density-functional theory for time-dependent systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Butriy, O.; Ebadi, H.; de Boeij, P. L.; van Leeuwen, R.; Gross, E. K. U.

2007-01-01

We derive the basic formalism of density functional theory for time-dependent electron-nuclear systems. The basic variables of this theory are the electron density in body-fixed frame coordinates and the diagonal of the nuclear N-body density matrix. The body-fixed frame transformation is carried

Improved Density Functional Tight Binding Potentials for Metalloid Aluminum Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

unlimited IMPROVED DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL TIGHT BINDING POTENTIALS FOR METALLOID ALUMINUM CLUSTERS by Joon H. Kim June 2016 Thesis Advisor...DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE IMPROVED DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL TIGHT BINDING POTENTIALS FOR METALLOID ALUMINUM CLUSTERS 5. FUNDING...repulsive potentials for use in density-functional tight binding (DFTB) simulations of low-valence aluminum metalloid clusters . These systems are under

Understanding the nanoscale local buckling behavior of vertically aligned MWCNT arrays with van der Waals interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yupeng; Kim, Hyung-Ick; Wei, Bingqing; Kang, Junmo; Choi, Jae-Boong; Nam, Jae-Do; Suhr, Jonghwan

2015-08-01

The local buckling behavior of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) has been investigated and interpreted in the view of a collective nanotube response by taking van der Waals interactions into account. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the case of collective VACNT behavior regarding van der Waals force among nanotubes as a lateral support effect during the buckling process. The local buckling propagation and development of VACNTs were experimentally observed and theoretically analyzed by employing finite element modeling with lateral support from van der Waals interactions among nanotubes. Both experimental and theoretical analyses show that VACNTs buckled in the bottom region with many short waves and almost identical wavelengths, indicating a high mode buckling. Furthermore, the propagation and development mechanism of buckling waves follow the wave damping effect.The local buckling behavior of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) has been investigated and interpreted in the view of a collective nanotube response by taking van der Waals interactions into account. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the case of collective VACNT behavior regarding van der Waals force among nanotubes as a lateral support effect during the buckling process. The local buckling propagation and development of VACNTs were experimentally observed and theoretically analyzed by employing finite element modeling with lateral support from van der Waals interactions among nanotubes. Both experimental and theoretical analyses show that VACNTs buckled in the bottom region with many short waves and almost identical wavelengths, indicating a high mode buckling. Furthermore, the propagation and development mechanism of buckling waves follow the wave damping effect. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03581c

On the electric dipole moments of small sodium clusters from different theoretical approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguado, Andrés; Largo, Antonio; Vega, Andrés; Balbás, Luis Carlos

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: The dipole moments and polarizabilities of a few isomers of sodium clusters of selected sizes (n = 13, 14, 16) are calculated using density functional theory methods as well as ab initio MP2, CASSCF, and MR-CI methods. Among the density functional approaches, we consider the usual local density and generalized gradient approximations, as well as a recent van der Waals self-consistent functional accounting for non-local dispersion interactions. Highlights: ► Dipole moment and polarizability of sodium clusters from DFT and ab initio methods. ► New van der Waals selfconsistent implementation of non-local dispersion interactions. ► New starting isomeric geometries from extensive search of global minimum structures. ► Good agreement with recent experiments at cryogenic temperatures. - Abstract: The dipole moments of Na n clusters in the size range 10 n clusters of selected sizes (n = 13, 14, 16), obtained recently through an extensive unbiased search of the global minimum structures, and using density functional theory methods as well as ab initio MP2, CASSCF, and MR-CI methods. Among the density functional approaches, we consider the usual local density and generalized gradient approximations, as well as a recent van der Waals self-consistent functional accounting for non-local dispersion interactions. Both non-local pseudopotentials and all-electron implementations are employed and compared in order to assess the possible contribution of the core electrons to the electric dipole moments. Our new geometries possess significantly smaller electric dipole moments than previous density functional results, mostly when combined with the van der Waals exchange–correlation functional. However, although the agreement with experiment clearly improves upon previous calculations, the theoretical dipole moments are still about one order of magnitude larger than the experimental values, suggesting that the correct global minimum structures have not been

A density functional approach to ferrogels

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, P.; Heinen, M.; Menzel, A. M.; Löwen, H.

2017-07-01

Ferrogels consist of magnetic colloidal particles embedded in an elastic polymer matrix. As a consequence, their structural and rheological properties are governed by a competition between magnetic particle-particle interactions and mechanical matrix elasticity. Typically, the particles are permanently fixed within the matrix, which makes them distinguishable by their positions. Over time, particle neighbors do not change due to the fixation by the matrix. Here we present a classical density functional approach for such ferrogels. We map the elastic matrix-induced interactions between neighboring colloidal particles distinguishable by their positions onto effective pairwise interactions between indistinguishable particles similar to a ‘pairwise pseudopotential’. Using Monte-Carlo computer simulations, we demonstrate for one-dimensional dipole-spring models of ferrogels that this mapping is justified. We then use the pseudopotential as an input into classical density functional theory of inhomogeneous fluids and predict the bulk elastic modulus of the ferrogel under various conditions. In addition, we propose the use of an ‘external pseudopotential’ when one switches from the viewpoint of a one-dimensional dipole-spring object to a one-dimensional chain embedded in an infinitely extended bulk matrix. Our mapping approach paves the way to describe various inhomogeneous situations of ferrogels using classical density functional concepts of inhomogeneous fluids.

Recent developments in LIBXC - A comprehensive library of functionals for density functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Lehtola, Susi; Steigemann, Conrad; Oliveira, Micael J. T.; Marques, Miguel A. L.

2018-01-01

LIBXC is a library of exchange-correlation functionals for density-functional theory. We are concerned with semi-local functionals (or the semi-local part of hybrid functionals), namely local-density approximations, generalized-gradient approximations, and meta-generalized-gradient approximations. Currently we include around 400 functionals for the exchange, correlation, and the kinetic energy, spanning more than 50 years of research. Moreover, LIBXC is by now used by more than 20 codes, not only from the atomic, molecular, and solid-state physics, but also from the quantum chemistry communities.

On the evolution of the density probability density function in strongly self-gravitating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girichidis, Philipp; Konstandin, Lukas; Klessen, Ralf S.; Whitworth, Anthony P.

2014-01-01

The time evolution of the probability density function (PDF) of the mass density is formulated and solved for systems in free-fall using a simple approximate function for the collapse of a sphere. We demonstrate that a pressure-free collapse results in a power-law tail on the high-density side of the PDF. The slope quickly asymptotes to the functional form P V (ρ)∝ρ –1.54 for the (volume-weighted) PDF and P M (ρ)∝ρ –0.54 for the corresponding mass-weighted distribution. From the simple approximation of the PDF we derive analytic descriptions for mass accretion, finding that dynamically quiet systems with narrow density PDFs lead to retarded star formation and low star formation rates (SFRs). Conversely, strong turbulent motions that broaden the PDF accelerate the collapse causing a bursting mode of star formation. Finally, we compare our theoretical work with observations. The measured SFRs are consistent with our model during the early phases of the collapse. Comparison of observed column density PDFs with those derived from our model suggests that observed star-forming cores are roughly in free-fall.

Rapidity-density patterns for events in a stochastic-field multiparticle theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, R.C.

1976-02-01

Typical-event rapidity distributions expected at energies of a few TeV are calculated in a stochastic-field multiparticle production theory. Short range rapidity correlations with characteristics of a Van der Waals fluid give rise to ''domain'' patterns in rapidity density, which have the appearance of clusters separated by rapidity gaps

Functional development in density functional theory for superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanna, Antonio; Gross, E.K.U.; Essenberger, Frank [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle (Saale) (Germany)

2015-07-01

Density functional theory for superconductors (SCDFT) is a fully parameter-free approach to superconductivity that allows for accurate predictions of critical temperature and properties of superconductors. We report on the most recent extensions of the method, in particular the development of new functionals to: (1) incorporate in a correct fashion Migdal's theorem; (2) compute the excitation spectrum; (3) include spin-fluctuation mediated pairing Applications and predictions are shown for a set of materials, including conventional and unconventional superconductors.

Equation satisfied by electron-electron mutual Coulomb repulsion energy density functional

OpenAIRE

Joubert, Daniel P.

2011-01-01

The electron-electron mutual Coulomb repulsion energy density functional satisfies an equation that links functionals and functional derivatives at N-electron and (N-1)-electron densities for densities determined from the same adiabatic scaled external potential for the N-electron system.

Binding mechanisms of DNA/RNA nucleobases adsorbed on graphene under charging: first-principles van der Waals study

Science.gov (United States)

Gürel, Hikmet Hakan; Salmankurt, Bahadır

2017-06-01

Graphene is a 2D material that has attracted much attention due to its outstanding properties. Because of its high surface area and unique chemical and physical properties, graphene is a good candidate for biological applications. For this reason, a deep understanding of the mechanism of interaction of graphene with biomolecules is required. In this study, theoretical investigation of van der Waals effects has been conducted using density functional theory. Here we show that the order of the binding energies of five nucleobases with graphene is G  >  A  >  T  >  C  >   U. This trend is in good agreement with most of the theoretical and experimental data. Also, the effects of charging on the electronic and structural properties of the graphene-nucleubase systems are studied for the first time. We show that the binding energy can be changed by adding or removing an electron from the system. The results presented in this work provide fundamental insights into the quantum interactions of DNA with carbon-based nanostructures and will be useful for developments in biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Density-functional theory in one dimension for contact-interacting fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magyar, R.J.; Burke, K.

2004-01-01

A density-functional theory is developed for fermions in one dimension, interacting via a δ function. Such systems provide a natural testing ground for questions of principle, as the local-density approximation should be highly accurate since for this interaction type the exchange contribution to the local-density approximation is intrinsically self-interaction-free. The exact-exchange contribution to the total energy is a local functional of the density. A local-density approximation for correlation is obtained using perturbation theory and Bethe ansatz results for the one-dimensional contact-interacting uniform Fermi gas. The ground-state energies are calculated for two finite systems, the analogs of helium and of Hooke's atom. The local-density approximation is shown to be excellent as expected

Self-contained filtered density function

Science.gov (United States)

Nouri, A. G.; Nik, M. B.; Givi, P.; Livescu, D.; Pope, S. B.

2017-09-01

The filtered density function (FDF) closure is extended to a "self-contained" format to include the subgrid-scale (SGS) statistics of all of the hydro-thermo-chemical variables in turbulent flows. These are the thermodynamic pressure, the specific internal energy, the velocity vector, and the composition field. In this format, the model is comprehensive and facilitates large-eddy simulation (LES) of flows at both low and high compressibility levels. A transport equation is developed for the joint pressure-energy-velocity-composition filtered mass density function (PEVC-FMDF). In this equation, the effect of convection appears in closed form. The coupling of the hydrodynamics and thermochemistry is modeled via a set of stochastic differential equation for each of the transport variables. This yields a self-contained SGS closure. For demonstration, LES is conducted of a turbulent shear flow with transport of a passive scalar. The consistency of the PEVC-FMDF formulation is established, and its overall predictive capability is appraised via comparison with direct numerical simulation (DNS) data.

Bonding in Mercury-Alkali Molecules: Orbital-driven van der Waals Complexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dieter Cremer

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The bonding situation in mercury-alkali diatomics HgA (2Σ+ (A = Li, Na, K, Rb has been investigated employing the relativistic all-electron method Normalized Elimination of the Small Component (NESC, CCSD(T, and augmented VTZ basis sets. Although Hg,A interactions are typical of van der Waals complexes, trends in calculated De values can be explained on the basis of a 3-electron 2-orbital model utilizing calculated ionization potentials and the De values of HgA+(1Σ+ diatomics. HgA molecules are identified as orbital-driven van der Waals complexes. The relevance of results for the understanding of the properties of liquid alkali metal amalgams is discussed.

Layer-dependent ferromagnetism in a van der Waals crystal down to the monolayer limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bevin; Clark, Genevieve; Navarro-Moratalla, Efrén; Klein, Dahlia R; Cheng, Ran; Seyler, Kyle L; Zhong, Ding; Schmidgall, Emma; McGuire, Michael A; Cobden, David H; Yao, Wang; Xiao, Di; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo; Xu, Xiaodong

2017-06-07

Since the discovery of graphene, the family of two-dimensional materials has grown, displaying a broad range of electronic properties. Recent additions include semiconductors with spin-valley coupling, Ising superconductors that can be tuned into a quantum metal, possible Mott insulators with tunable charge-density waves, and topological semimetals with edge transport. However, no two-dimensional crystal with intrinsic magnetism has yet been discovered; such a crystal would be useful in many technologies from sensing to data storage. Theoretically, magnetic order is prohibited in the two-dimensional isotropic Heisenberg model at finite temperatures by the Mermin-Wagner theorem. Magnetic anisotropy removes this restriction, however, and enables, for instance, the occurrence of two-dimensional Ising ferromagnetism. Here we use magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy to demonstrate that monolayer chromium triiodide (CrI 3 ) is an Ising ferromagnet with out-of-plane spin orientation. Its Curie temperature of 45 kelvin is only slightly lower than that of the bulk crystal, 61 kelvin, which is consistent with a weak interlayer coupling. Moreover, our studies suggest a layer-dependent magnetic phase, highlighting thickness-dependent physical properties typical of van der Waals crystals. Remarkably, bilayer CrI 3 displays suppressed magnetization with a metamagnetic effect, whereas in trilayer CrI 3 the interlayer ferromagnetism observed in the bulk crystal is restored. This work creates opportunities for studying magnetism by harnessing the unusual features of atomically thin materials, such as electrical control for realizing magnetoelectronics, and van der Waals engineering to produce interface phenomena.

Microscopically based energy density functionals for nuclei using the density matrix expansion. II. Full optimization and validation

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro Pérez, R.; Schunck, N.; Dyhdalo, A.; Furnstahl, R. J.; Bogner, S. K.

2018-05-01

Background: Energy density functional methods provide a generic framework to compute properties of atomic nuclei starting from models of nuclear potentials and the rules of quantum mechanics. Until now, the overwhelming majority of functionals have been constructed either from empirical nuclear potentials such as the Skyrme or Gogny forces, or from systematic gradient-like expansions in the spirit of the density functional theory for atoms. Purpose: We seek to obtain a usable form of the nuclear energy density functional that is rooted in the modern theory of nuclear forces. We thus consider a functional obtained from the density matrix expansion of local nuclear potentials from chiral effective field theory. We propose a parametrization of this functional carefully calibrated and validated on selected ground-state properties that is suitable for large-scale calculations of nuclear properties. Methods: Our energy functional comprises two main components. The first component is a non-local functional of the density and corresponds to the direct part (Hartree term) of the expectation value of local chiral potentials on a Slater determinant. Contributions to the mean field and the energy of this term are computed by expanding the spatial, finite-range components of the chiral potential onto Gaussian functions. The second component is a local functional of the density and is obtained by applying the density matrix expansion to the exchange part (Fock term) of the expectation value of the local chiral potential. We apply the UNEDF2 optimization protocol to determine the coupling constants of this energy functional. Results: We obtain a set of microscopically constrained functionals for local chiral potentials from leading order up to next-to-next-to-leading order with and without three-body forces and contributions from Δ excitations. These functionals are validated on the calculation of nuclear and neutron matter, nuclear mass tables, single-particle shell structure

Cálculo do volume na equação de van der Waals pelo método de cardano Volume calculation in van der Waals equation by the cardano method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelson H. T. Lemes

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Analytical solutions of a cubic equation with real coefficients are established using the Cardano method. The method is first applied to simple third order equation. Calculation of volume in the van der Waals equation of state is afterwards established. These results are exemplified to calculate the volumes below and above critical temperatures. Analytical and numerical values for the compressibility factor are presented as a function of the pressure. As a final example, coexistence volumes in the liquid-vapor equilibrium are calculated. The Cardano approach is very simple to apply, requiring only elementary operations, indicating an attractive method to be used in teaching elementary thermodynamics.

Self-assembled monolayer structures of hexadecylamine on Cu surfaces: density-functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shih-Hsien; Balankura, Tonnam; Fichthorn, Kristen A

2016-12-07

We used dispersion-corrected density-functional theory to probe possible structures for adsorbed layers of hexadecylamine (HDA) on Cu(100) and Cu(111). HDA forms self-assembled layers on these surfaces, analogous to alkanethiols on various metal surfaces, and it binds by donating electrons in the amine group to the Cu surface atoms, consistent with experiment. van der Waals interactions between the alkyl tails of HDA molecules are stronger than the interaction between the amine group and the Cu surfaces. Strong HDA-tail interactions lead to coverage-dependent tilting of the HDA layers, such that the tilt angle is larger for lower coverages. At full monolayer coverage, the energetically preferred binding configuration for HDA on Cu(100) is a (5 × 3) pattern - although we cannot rule out incommensurate structures - while the pattern is preferred on Cu(111). A major motivation for this study is to understand the experimentally observed capability of HDA as a capping agent for producing {100}-faceted Cu nanocrystals. Consistent with experiment, we find that HDA binds more strongly to Cu(100) than to Cu(111). This strong binding stems from the capability of HDA to form more densely packed layers on Cu(100), which leads to stronger HDA-tail interactions, as well as the stronger binding of the amine group to Cu(100). We estimate the surface energies of HDA-covered Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces and find that these surfaces are nearly isoenergetic. By drawing analogies to previous theoretical work, it seems likely that HDA-covered Cu nanocrystals could have kinetic shapes that primarily express {100} facets, as is seen experimentally.

Morse-Morse-Spline-Van der Waals intermolecular potential suitable for hexafluoride gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coroiu, Ilioara

2004-01-01

Several effective isotopic pair potential functions have been proposed to characterize the bulk properties of quasispherical molecules, in particular the hexafluorides, but none got a success. Unfortunately, these potentials have repulsive walls steeper than those which describe the hexafluorides. That these intermolecular potentials are not quite adequate is shown by the lack of complete agreement between theory and experiment even for the rare gases. Not long ago, R. A. Aziz et al. have constructed a Morse-Morse-Spline-Van der Waals (MMSV) potential. The MMSV potential incorporates the determination of C 6 dispersion coefficient and it reasonably correlates second virial coefficients and viscosity data of sulphur hexafluoride at the same time. None of the potential functions previously proposed in literature could predict these properties simultaneously. We calculated the second virial coefficients and a large number of Chapman-Cowling collision integrals for this improved intermolecular potential, the MMSV potential. The results were tabulated for a large reduced temperature range, kT/ε from 0.1 to 100. The treatment was entirely classical and no corrections for quantum effects were made. The higher approximations to the transport coefficients and the isotopic thermal diffusion factor were also calculated and tabulated for the same range. In this paper we present the evaluation of the uranium hexafluoride potential parameters for the MMSV intermolecular potential. To find a single set of potential parameters which could predict all the transport properties (viscosity, thermal conductivity, self diffusion, etc.), as well as the second virial coefficients, simultaneously, the method suggested by Morizot and a large assortment of literature data were used. Our results emphasized that the Morse-Morse-Spline-Van der Waals potential have the best overall predictive ability for gaseous hexafluoride data, certain for uranium hexafluoride. (author)

Methane adsorption on the surface of a model of shale: A density functional theory study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Yuan-qiang; Su, Hong; Jing, Ya; Guo, Jianchun; Tang, Junlei

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The adsorption of methane on kerogen was investigated by DFT method with D3 dispersion correction. • Methane prefers to be adsorbed on the sites directly above the carbon atoms of the kerogen. • The interaction energy with BSSE corrections is around 14 kJ mol −1 . • RDG gradient isosurface depicted the van der Waals interactions between methane and kerogen. • The adsorption of methane on kerogen slightly depends upon the adsorption sites on kerogen as well as the orientations of methane. - Abstract: As a model of shale, one part of polycyclic aromatic ring was used to represent the kerogen surface with the structural heterogeneity. The adsorption mechanisms of methane on the surface of the kerogen were investigated by M06-2× functional with D3 dispersion correction. Nine stable adsorption sites and the orientations of methane (CH 4 ) on the surface of the kerogen were systematically considered. Information from different methods lead to the same conclusion that methane prefers to be adsorbed on the sites directly above the carbon atoms of the kerogen rather than above the center of the six-membered rings. The interactions between methane and the surface of the kerogen are the van der Waals interactions. The interaction energies with the basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrections are around 14 kJ mol −1 at the M06-2×-D3/Jun-cc-pVDZ level. The RDG scatter graphs and the RDG gradient isosurface further illustrate that the interactions between methane and the surface of the kerogen belong to the van der Waals interactions. The weak interactions indicate that the adsorption of methane on the surface of the kerogen is physical adsorption and it slightly depends upon the adsorption sites on kerogen as well as the orientations of methane. These results are helpful for the understanding of the microcosmic mechanism of methane–shale interactions and for the exploitation of shale gas.

Methane adsorption on the surface of a model of shale: A density functional theory study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Yuan-qiang, E-mail: zhuline518@163.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Su, Hong; Jing, Ya [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Guo, Jianchun [State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Tang, Junlei [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • The adsorption of methane on kerogen was investigated by DFT method with D3 dispersion correction. • Methane prefers to be adsorbed on the sites directly above the carbon atoms of the kerogen. • The interaction energy with BSSE corrections is around 14 kJ mol{sup −1}. • RDG gradient isosurface depicted the van der Waals interactions between methane and kerogen. • The adsorption of methane on kerogen slightly depends upon the adsorption sites on kerogen as well as the orientations of methane. - Abstract: As a model of shale, one part of polycyclic aromatic ring was used to represent the kerogen surface with the structural heterogeneity. The adsorption mechanisms of methane on the surface of the kerogen were investigated by M06-2× functional with D3 dispersion correction. Nine stable adsorption sites and the orientations of methane (CH{sub 4}) on the surface of the kerogen were systematically considered. Information from different methods lead to the same conclusion that methane prefers to be adsorbed on the sites directly above the carbon atoms of the kerogen rather than above the center of the six-membered rings. The interactions between methane and the surface of the kerogen are the van der Waals interactions. The interaction energies with the basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrections are around 14 kJ mol{sup −1} at the M06-2×-D3/Jun-cc-pVDZ level. The RDG scatter graphs and the RDG gradient isosurface further illustrate that the interactions between methane and the surface of the kerogen belong to the van der Waals interactions. The weak interactions indicate that the adsorption of methane on the surface of the kerogen is physical adsorption and it slightly depends upon the adsorption sites on kerogen as well as the orientations of methane. These results are helpful for the understanding of the microcosmic mechanism of methane–shale interactions and for the exploitation of shale gas.

Density functional theory studies on the nano-scaled composites consisted of graphene and acyl hydrazone molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, J. L.; Zhou, L.; Lv, Z. C.; Ding, C. H.; Wu, Y. H.; Bai, H. C.

2016-07-01

Graphene, which is the first obtained single atomic layer 2D materials, has drawn a great of concern in nano biotechnology due to the unique property. On one hand, acyl hydrazone compounds belonging to the Schif bases have aroused considerable attention in medicine, pharmacy, and analytical reagent. However, few understanding about the interaction between graphene and acyl hydrazone molecules is now available. And such investigations are much crucial for the applications of these new nano-scaled composites. The current work revealed theoretical investigations on the nano-scaled composites built by acyl hydrazone molecules loaded on the surface of graphene. The relative energy, electronic property and the interaction between the counterparts of graphene/acyl hydrazone composites are investigated based on the density functional theory calculations. According to the obtained adsorption energy, the formation of the nano-scaled composite from the isolated graphene and acyl hydrazone molecule is exothermic, and thus it is energetically favorable to form these nano composites in viewpoint of total energy change. The frontier molecular orbital for the nano composite is mainly distributed at the graphene part, leading to that the energy levels of the frontier molecular orbital of the nano composites are very close to that of isolated graphene. Moreover, the counterpart interaction for the graphene/acyl hydrazone composites is also explored based on the discussions of orbital hybridization, charge redistribution and Van der Waals interaction.

Van der Waals interaction between metal and atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, P.R.; Mukhopadhyay, G.

1984-07-01

A dielectric response approach to the Van der Waals interaction between an atom and a planar metal surface is presented. An exact formula in terms of a form factor is derived within the point dipole approximation and non-retarded limit valid for shorter separation. The interaction potential is studied via SCIB model, and a substantial modification over its classical form is found at shorter distances. (author)

Bayesian error estimation in density-functional theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Jens Jørgen; Kaasbjerg, Kristen; Frederiksen, Søren Lund

2005-01-01

We present a practical scheme for performing error estimates for density-functional theory calculations. The approach, which is based on ideas from Bayesian statistics, involves creating an ensemble of exchange-correlation functionals by comparing with an experimental database of binding energies...

Closed-form approximation and numerical validation of the influence of van der Waals force on electrostatic cantilevers at nano-scale separations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramezani, Asghar [School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Alasty, Aria [Center of Excellence in Design, Robotics, and Automation (CEDRA), School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Akbari, Javad [Center of Excellence in Design, Robotics, and Automation (CEDRA), School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2008-01-09

In this paper the two-point boundary value problem (BVP) of the cantilever deflection at nano-scale separations subjected to van der Waals and electrostatic forces is investigated using analytical and numerical methods to obtain the instability point of the beam. In the analytical treatment of the BVP, the nonlinear differential equation of the model is transformed into the integral form by using the Green's function of the cantilever beam. Then, closed-form solutions are obtained by assuming an appropriate shape function for the beam deflection to evaluate the integrals. In the numerical method, the BVP is solved with the MATLAB BVP solver, which implements a collocation method for obtaining the solution of the BVP. The large deformation theory is applied in numerical simulations to study the effect of the finite kinematics on the pull-in parameters of cantilevers. The centerline of the beam under the effect of electrostatic and van der Waals forces at small deflections and at the point of instability is obtained numerically. In computing the centerline of the beam, the axial displacement due to the transverse deformation of the beam is taken into account, using the inextensibility condition. The pull-in parameters of the beam are computed analytically and numerically under the effects of electrostatic and/or van der Waals forces. The detachment length and the minimum initial gap of freestanding cantilevers, which are the basic design parameters, are determined. The results of the analytical study are compared with the numerical solutions of the BVP. The proposed methods are validated by the results published in the literature.

Nuclear energy density functional from chiral pion-nucleon dynamics revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, N.; Weise, W.

2010-05-01

We use a recently improved density-matrix expansion to calculate the nuclear energy density functional in the framework of in-medium chiral perturbation theory. Our calculation treats systematically the effects from 1 π-exchange, iterated 1 π-exchange, and irreducible 2 π-exchange with intermediate Δ-isobar excitations, including Pauli-blocking corrections up to three-loop order. We find that the effective nucleon mass M(ρ) entering the energy density functional is identical to the one of Fermi-liquid theory when employing the improved density-matrix expansion. The strength F(ρ) of the ( surface-term as provided by the pion-exchange dynamics is in good agreement with that of phenomenological Skyrme forces in the density region ρ/2short-range spin-orbit interaction. The strength function F(ρ) multiplying the square of the spin-orbit density comes out much larger than in phenomenological Skyrme forces and it has a pronounced density dependence.

The heat current density correlation function: sum rules and thermal conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Shaminder; Tankeshwar, K; Pathak, K N; Ranganathan, S

2006-01-01

Expressions for the second and fourth sum rules of the heat current density correlation function have been derived in an appropriate ensemble. The thermal conductivity of Lennard-Jones fluids has been calculated using these sum rules for the heat current density correlation function and the Gaussian form of the memory function. It is found that the results obtained for the thermal conductivity are in good agreement with the molecular dynamics simulation results over a wide range of densities and temperatures. Earlier results obtained using the energy current density correlation function are also discussed

The heat current density correlation function: sum rules and thermal conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Shaminder [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160 014 (India); Tankeshwar, K [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160 014 (India); Pathak, K N [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160 014 (India); Ranganathan, S [Department of Physics, Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4 (Canada)

2006-02-01

Expressions for the second and fourth sum rules of the heat current density correlation function have been derived in an appropriate ensemble. The thermal conductivity of Lennard-Jones fluids has been calculated using these sum rules for the heat current density correlation function and the Gaussian form of the memory function. It is found that the results obtained for the thermal conductivity are in good agreement with the molecular dynamics simulation results over a wide range of densities and temperatures. Earlier results obtained using the energy current density correlation function are also discussed.

Mixed Dimensional Van der Waals Heterostructures for Opto-Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Jariwala, Deep

The isolation of a growing number of two-dimensional (2D) materials has inspired worldwide efforts to integrate distinct 2D materials into van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. While a tremendous amount of research activity has occurred in assembling disparate 2D materials into ``all-2D'' van der Waals heterostructures, this concept is not limited to 2D materials alone. Given that any passivated, dangling bond-free surface will interact with another via vdW forces, the vdW heterostructure concept can be extended to include the integration of 2D materials with non-2D materials that adhere primarily through noncovalent interactions. In the first part of this talk I will present our work on emerging mixed-dimensional (2D + nD, where n is 0, 1 or 3) heterostructure devices performed at Northwestern University. I will present two distinct examples of gate-tunable p-n heterojunctions 1. Single layer n-type MoS2\\ (2D) combined with p-type semiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes (1D) and 2. Single layer MoS2 combined with 0D molecular semiconductor, pentacene. I will present the unique electrical properties, underlying charge transport mechanisms and photocurrent responses in both the above systems using a variety of scanning probe microscopy techniques as well as computational analysis. This work shows that van der Waals interactions are robust across different dimensionalities of materials and can allow fabrication of semiconductor devices with unique geometries and properties unforeseen in bulk semiconductors. Finally, I will briefly discuss our recent work from Caltech on near-unity absorption in atomically-thin photovoltaic devices. This work is supported by the Materials Research Center at Northwestern University, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF DMR-1121262) and the Resnick Sustainability Institute at Caltech.

A classical density functional theory of ionic liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsman, Jan; Woodward, Clifford E; Trulsson, Martin

2011-04-28

We present a simple, classical density functional approach to the study of simple models of room temperature ionic liquids. Dispersion attractions as well as ion correlation effects and excluded volume packing are taken into account. The oligomeric structure, common to many ionic liquid molecules, is handled by a polymer density functional treatment. The theory is evaluated by comparisons with simulations, with an emphasis on the differential capacitance, an experimentally measurable quantity of significant practical interest.

Relations between anisotropic defects, structural evolution, and van der Waals bonding in 2H-NbSe2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavarri, J.R.; Mokrani, R.; Boulesteix, C.; Vacquier, G.

1988-01-01

Correlations between anisotropic defects and van der Waals interactions have been established for the layer compound 2H-NbSe 2 which is investigated by low temperature X-ray diffraction techniques. Thermal expansion coefficients and anisotropic Debye temperatures are determined. A diffraction profile analysis reveals the existence of lattice distortions independent of the temperature. They are due to layer defects. To interpret the structural evolution data, the thermal expansion functions, α a (T) and α c (T) are simulated in the low temperature range which yield the elastic constants and the Grueneisen parameters. Using bond energy models, the Van der Waals nature of interlayer Se-Se interactions is confirmed by a model of thermal expansion of bonds and connected with the C 13 component of the elastic tensor. Such interactions can explain the presence of some layer defects that can be 4H-NbSe 2 nuclei in the 2H host lattice. In addition, no strong change in the Grueneisen parameters is clearly shown to occur at the 35 K transition of 2H-NbSe 2 . (author)

Electric field modulation of Schottky barrier height in graphene/MoSe2 van der Waals heterointerface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sata, Yohta; Moriya, Rai; Morikawa, Sei; Yabuki, Naoto; Masubuchi, Satoru; Machida, Tomoki

2015-01-01

We demonstrate a vertical field-effect transistor based on a graphene/MoSe 2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure. The vdW interface between the graphene and MoSe 2 exhibits a Schottky barrier with an ideality factor of around 1.3, suggesting a high-quality interface. Owing to the low density of states in graphene, the position of the Fermi level in the graphene can be strongly modulated by an external electric field. Therefore, the Schottky barrier height at the graphene/MoSe 2 vdW interface is also modulated. We demonstrate a large current ON-OFF ratio of 10 5 . These results point to the potential high performance of the graphene/MoSe 2 vdW heterostructure for electronics applications

Electronic spectral properties of surfaces and adsorbates and atom-adsorbate van der Waals interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovric, D.; Gumhalter, B.

1988-01-01

The relevance of van der Waals interactions in the scattering of neutral atoms from adsorbates has been recently confirmed by highly sensitive molecular-beam techniques. The theoretical descriptions of the collision dynamics which followed the experimental studies have necessitated very careful qualitative and quantitative examinations and evaluations of the properties of atom-adsorbate van der Waals interactions for specific systems. In this work we present a microscopic calculation of the strengths and reference-plane positions for van der Waals potentials relevant for scattering of He atoms from CO adsorbed on various metallic substrates. In order to take into account the specificities of the polarization properties of real metals (noble and transition metals) and of chemisorbed CO, we first calculate the spectra of the electronic excitations characteristic of the respective electronic subsystems by using various data sources available and combine them with the existing theoretical models. The reliability of the calculated spectra is then verified in each particular case by universal sum rules which may be established for the electronic excitations of surfaces and adsorbates. The substrate and adsorbate polarization properties which derive from these calculations serve as input data for the evaluation of the strengths and reference-plane positions of van der Waals potentials whose computed values are tabulated for a number of real chemisorption systems. The implications of the obtained results are discussed in regard to the atom-adsorbate scattering cross sections pertinent to molecular-beam scattering experiments

Density-scaling and the Prigogine-Defay ratio in liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Casalini, R; Gamache, R F; Roland, C M

2011-12-14

The term "strongly correlating liquids" refers to materials exhibiting near proportionality of fluctuations in the potential energy and the virial pressure, as seen in molecular dynamics simulations of liquids whose interactions are comprised primarily of van der Waals forces. Recently it was proposed that the Prigogine-Defay ratio, Π, of strongly correlating liquids should fall close to unity. We verify this prediction herein by showing that the degree to which relaxation times are a function T/ρ(γ), the ratio of temperature to density with the latter raised to a material constant (a property inherent to strongly correlating liquids) is reflected in values of Π closer to unity. We also show that the dynamics of strongly correlating liquids are governed more by density than by temperature. Thus, while Π may never strictly equal 1 for the glass transition, it is approximately unity for many materials, and thus can serve as a predictor of other dynamic behavior. For example, Π ≫ 1 is indicative of additional control parameters besides T/ρ(γ). © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Refined ab initio intermolecular ground-state potential energy surface for the He-C2H2 van der Waals complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernández, Berta; Henriksen, Christian; Farrelly, David

2013-01-01

A refined CCSD(T) intermolecular potential energy surface is developed for the He-C2H2 van der Waals complex. For this, 206 points on the intermolecular potential energy surface, evaluated using the CCSD(T) method and the aug-cc-pVQZ basis set extended with a set of 3s3p2d1f1g midbond functions...

Self-contained filtered density function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nouri, Arash G.; Pope, Stephen B.

2017-01-01

The filtered density function (FDF) closure is extended to a “self-contained” format to include the subgrid-scale (SGS) statistics of all of the hydro-thermo-chemical variables in turbulent flows. These are the thermodynamic pressure, the specific internal energy, the velocity vector, and the composition field. In this format, the model is comprehensive and facilitates large-eddy simulation (LES) of flows at both low and high compressibility levels. A transport equation is developed for the joint pressure-energy-velocity-composition filtered mass density function (PEVC-FMDF). In this equation, the effect of convection appears in closed form. The coupling of the hydrodynamics and thermochemistry is modeled via a set of stochastic differential equation for each of the transport variables. This yields a self-contained SGS closure. We demonstrated how LES is conducted of a turbulent shear flow with transport of a passive scalar. Finally, the consistency of the PEVC-FMDF formulation is established, and its overall predictive capability is appraised via comparison with direct numerical simulation (DNS) data.

The waaL gene mutation compromised the inhabitation of Enterobacter sp. Ag1 in the mosquito gut environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Dong; Jiang, Jinjin; Yu, Wanqin; Kukutla, Phanidhar; Uentillie, Alejandro; Xu, Jiannong

2015-08-27

The mosquito gut harbors a variety of bacteria that are dynamically associated with mosquitoes in various contexts. However, little is known about bacterial factors that affect bacterial inhabitation in the gut microbial community. Enterobacter sp. Ag1 is a predominant Gram negative bacterium in the mosquito midgut. In a mutant library that was generated using transposon Tn5-mediated mutagenesis, a mutant was identified, in which the gene waaL was disrupted by the Tn5 insertion. The waaL encodes O antigen ligase, which is required for the attachment of O antigen to the outer core oligosaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The waaL(-) mutation caused the O antigen repeat missing in the LPS. The normal LPS structure was restored when the mutant was complemented with a plasmid containing waaL gene. The waaL(-) mutation did not affect bacterial proliferation in LB culture, the mutant cells grew at a rate the same as the wildtype (wt) cells. However, when waaL(-) strain were co-cultured with the wt strain or complemented strain, the mutant cells proliferated with a slower rate, indicating that the mutants were less competitive than wt cells in a community setting. Similarly, in a co-feeding assay, when fluorescently tagged wt strain and waaL(-) strain were orally co-introduced into the gut of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, the mutant cells were less prevalent in both sugar-fed and blood-fed guts. The data suggest that the mutation compromised the bacterial inhabitation in the gut community. Besides, the mutant was more sensitive to oxidative stress, demonstrated by lower survival rate upon exposure to 20 mM H₂O₂. Lack of the O antigen structure in LPS of Enterobacter compromised the effective growth in co-culture and co-feeding assays. In addition, O-antigen was involved in protection against oxidative stress. The findings suggest that intact LPS is crucial for the bacteria to steadily stay in the gut microbial community.

Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory Is Free From Delocalization Error.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Junwei Lucas; Wang, Ying; He, Xiao; Gagliardi, Laura; Truhlar, Donald G

2017-11-16

Delocalization error has been singled out by Yang and co-workers as the dominant error in Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) with conventional approximate functionals. In this Letter, by computing the vertical first ionization energy for well separated He clusters, we show that multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT) is free from delocalization error. To put MC-PDFT in perspective, we also compare it with some Kohn-Sham density functionals, including both traditional and modern functionals. Whereas large delocalization errors are almost universal in KS-DFT (the only exception being the very recent corrected functionals of Yang and co-workers), delocalization error is removed by MC-PDFT, which bodes well for its future as a step forward from KS-DFT.

Legitimatie van de nevengeul voor de Waal langs Varik

NARCIS (Netherlands)

During, R.; Pleijte, M.; Vreke, J.

2016-01-01

“Wat is de legitimatie van de geprojecteerde nevengeul van de Waal bij Varik en Heesselt?” In het onderzoek dat heeft plaatsgevonden is specifiek gekeken naar de onderbouwing van de maatgevende afvoer van 18.000 m3/s bij Lobith eind 21e eeuw en naar de wijze waarop er in de planvorming met de

Benchmark density functional theory calculations for nanoscale conductance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strange, Mikkel; Bækgaard, Iben Sig Buur; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer

2008-01-01

We present a set of benchmark calculations for the Kohn-Sham elastic transmission function of five representative single-molecule junctions. The transmission functions are calculated using two different density functional theory methods, namely an ultrasoft pseudopotential plane-wave code...

SURFACE SYMMETRY ENERGY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY DENSITY FUNCTIONALS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikolov, N; Schunck, N; Nazarewicz, W; Bender, M; Pei, J

2010-12-20

We study the bulk deformation properties of the Skyrme nuclear energy density functionals. Following simple arguments based on the leptodermous expansion and liquid drop model, we apply the nuclear density functional theory to assess the role of the surface symmetry energy in nuclei. To this end, we validate the commonly used functional parametrizations against the data on excitation energies of superdeformed band-heads in Hg and Pb isotopes, and fission isomers in actinide nuclei. After subtracting shell effects, the results of our self-consistent calculations are consistent with macroscopic arguments and indicate that experimental data on strongly deformed configurations in neutron-rich nuclei are essential for optimizing future nuclear energy density functionals. The resulting survey provides a useful benchmark for further theoretical improvements. Unlike in nuclei close to the stability valley, whose macroscopic deformability hangs on the balance of surface and Coulomb terms, the deformability of neutron-rich nuclei strongly depends on the surface-symmetry energy; hence, its proper determination is crucial for the stability of deformed phases of the neutron-rich matter and description of fission rates for r-process nucleosynthesis.

Kinetic-energy density functional: Atoms and shell structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Gonzalez, P.; Alvarellos, J.E.; Chacon, E.

1996-01-01

We present a nonlocal kinetic-energy functional which includes an anisotropic average of the density through a symmetrization procedure. This functional allows a better description of the nonlocal effects of the electron system. The main consequence of the symmetrization is the appearance of a clear shell structure in the atomic density profiles, obtained after the minimization of the total energy. Although previous results with some of the nonlocal kinetic functionals have given incipient structures for heavy atoms, only our functional shows a clear shell structure for most of the atoms. The atomic total energies have a good agreement with the exact calculations. Discussion of the chemical potential and the first ionization potential in atoms is included. The functional is also extended to spin-polarized systems. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

A classical density functional investigation of nucleation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Satinath; Ghosh, Swapan K.

2009-01-01

Study of nucleation and growth phenomena in condensation is of prime importance in various applications such as crystal growth, nanoparticle synthesis, pattern formation etc. The knowledge of nucleation barrier in condensation is necessary to control the nucleation kinetics, size of the nanoparticles etc. Classical nucleation theory (CNT) assumes the density of the drop as bulk density irrespective of the size of the drop and overestimates the nucleation barrier. Here we are interested in solving the problem analytically using density functional theory (DFT) with square gradient approximation along the lines of Cahn and Hilliard. Nucleation barrier and density profile obtained in this work are consistent with other works based on nonclassical theory. (author)

Nonlocal exchange and kinetic-energy density functionals for electronic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glossman, M.D.; Rubio, A.; Balbas, L.C.; Alonso, J.A.

1992-01-01

The nonlocal weighted density approximation (WDA) to the exchange and kinetic-energy functionals of many electron systems proposed several years ago by Alonso and Girifalco is used to compute, within the framework of density functional theory, the ground-state electronic density and total energy of noble gas atoms and of neutral jellium-like sodium clusters containing up to 500 atoms. These results are compared with analogous calculations using the well known Thomas-Fermi-Weizsacker-Dirac (TFWD) approximations for the kinetic (TFW) and exchange (D) energy density functionals. An outstanding improvement of the total and exchange energies, of the density at the nucleus and of the expectation values is obtained for atoms within the WDA scheme. For sodium clusters the authors notice a sizeable contribution of the nonlocal effects to the total energy and to the density profiles. In the limit of very large clusters these effects should affect the surface energy of the bulk metal

Constraints on parton density functions from D0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hays, Jonathan M.; /Imperial Coll., London

2008-04-01

Five recent results from D0 which either impact or have the potential to impact on uncertainties in parton density functions are presented. Many analyses at D0 are sensitive to the modeling of the partonic structure of the proton. When theoretical and experimental uncertainties are well controlled there exists the possibility for additional constraints on parton density functions (PDF). Five measurements are presented which either have already been included in global parton fits or have the potential to contribute in the future.

A comparative study of density functional and density functional tight binding calculations of defects in graphene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zobelli, Alberto [Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Univ. Paris Sud, CNRS UMR, Orsay (France); Ivanovskaya, Viktoria; Wagner, Philipp; Yaya, Abu; Ewels, Chris P. [Institut des Materiaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), CNRS UMR, University of Nantes (France); Suarez-Martinez, Irene [Nanochemistry Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia (Australia)

2012-02-15

The density functional tight binding approach (DFTB) is well adapted for the study of point and line defects in graphene based systems. After briefly reviewing the use of DFTB in this area, we present a comparative study of defect structures, energies, and dynamics between DFTB results obtained using the dftb+ code, and density functional results using the localized Gaussian orbital code, AIMPRO. DFTB accurately reproduces structures and energies for a range of point defect structures such as vacancies and Stone-Wales defects in graphene, as well as various unfunctionalized and hydroxylated graphene sheet edges. Migration barriers for the vacancy and Stone-Wales defect formation barriers are accurately reproduced using a nudged elastic band approach. Finally we explore the potential for dynamic defect simulations using DFTB, taking as an example electron irradiation damage in graphene. DFTB-MD derived sputtering energy threshold map for a carbon atom in a graphene plane. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Existence of time-dependent density-functional theory for open electronic systems: time-dependent holographic electron density theorem.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xiao; Yam, ChiYung; Wang, Fan; Chen, GuanHua

2011-08-28

We present the time-dependent holographic electron density theorem (TD-HEDT), which lays the foundation of time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) for open electronic systems. For any finite electronic system, the TD-HEDT formally establishes a one-to-one correspondence between the electron density inside any finite subsystem and the time-dependent external potential. As a result, any electronic property of an open system in principle can be determined uniquely by the electron density function inside the open region. Implications of the TD-HEDT on the practicality of TDDFT are also discussed.

Postfragmentation density function for bacterial aggregates in laminar flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Erin; Dzul, Steve; Solomon, Michael; Younger, John; Bortz, David M

2011-04-01

The postfragmentation probability density of daughter flocs is one of the least well-understood aspects of modeling flocculation. We use three-dimensional positional data of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterial flocs in suspension and the knowledge of hydrodynamic properties of a laminar flow field to construct a probability density function of floc volumes after a fragmentation event. We provide computational results which predict that the primary fragmentation mechanism for large flocs is erosion. The postfragmentation probability density function has a strong dependence on the size of the original floc and indicates that most fragmentation events result in clumps of one to three bacteria eroding from the original floc. We also provide numerical evidence that exhaustive fragmentation yields a limiting density inconsistent with the log-normal density predicted in the literature, most likely due to the heterogeneous nature of K. pneumoniae flocs. To support our conclusions, artificial flocs were generated and display similar postfragmentation density and exhaustive fragmentation. ©2011 American Physical Society

Linking density functional and mode coupling models for supercooled liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Premkumar, Leishangthem; Bidhoodi, Neeta; Das, Shankar P

2016-03-28

We compare predictions from two familiar models of the metastable supercooled liquid, respectively, constructed with thermodynamic and dynamic approaches. In the so called density functional theory the free energy F[ρ] of the liquid is a functional of the inhomogeneous density ρ(r). The metastable state is identified as a local minimum of F[ρ]. The sharp density profile characterizing ρ(r) is identified as a single particle oscillator, whose frequency is obtained from the parameters of the optimum density function. On the other hand, a dynamic approach to supercooled liquids is taken in the mode coupling theory (MCT) which predict a sharp ergodicity-non-ergodicity transition at a critical density. The single particle dynamics in the non-ergodic state, treated approximately, represents a propagating mode whose characteristic frequency is computed from the corresponding memory function of the MCT. The mass localization parameters in the above two models (treated in their simplest forms) are obtained, respectively, in terms of the corresponding natural frequencies depicted and are shown to have comparable magnitudes.

Linking density functional and mode coupling models for supercooled liquids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Premkumar, Leishangthem; Bidhoodi, Neeta; Das, Shankar P. [School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067 (India)

2016-03-28

We compare predictions from two familiar models of the metastable supercooled liquid, respectively, constructed with thermodynamic and dynamic approaches. In the so called density functional theory the free energy F[ρ] of the liquid is a functional of the inhomogeneous density ρ(r). The metastable state is identified as a local minimum of F[ρ]. The sharp density profile characterizing ρ(r) is identified as a single particle oscillator, whose frequency is obtained from the parameters of the optimum density function. On the other hand, a dynamic approach to supercooled liquids is taken in the mode coupling theory (MCT) which predict a sharp ergodicity-non-ergodicity transition at a critical density. The single particle dynamics in the non-ergodic state, treated approximately, represents a propagating mode whose characteristic frequency is computed from the corresponding memory function of the MCT. The mass localization parameters in the above two models (treated in their simplest forms) are obtained, respectively, in terms of the corresponding natural frequencies depicted and are shown to have comparable magnitudes.

General theoretical description of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of van der Waals structures

Science.gov (United States)

Amorim, B.

2018-04-01

We develop a general theory to model the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) of commensurate and incommensurate van der Waals (vdW) structures, formed by lattice mismatched and/or misaligned stacked layers of two-dimensional materials. The present theory is based on a tight-binding description of the structure and the concept of generalized umklapp processes, going beyond previous descriptions of ARPES in incommensurate vdW structures, which are based on continuous, low-energy models, being limited to structures with small lattice mismatch/misalignment. As applications of the general formalism, we study the ARPES bands and constant energy maps for two structures: twisted bilayer graphene and twisted bilayer MoS2. The present theory should be useful in correctly interpreting experimental results of ARPES of vdW structures and other systems displaying competition between different periodicities, such as two-dimensional materials weakly coupled to a substrate and materials with density wave phases.

Density functional theory a practical introduction

CERN Document Server

Sholl, David

2009-01-01

Demonstrates how anyone in math, science, and engineering can master DFT calculations Density functional theory (DFT) is one of the most frequently used computational tools for studying and predicting the properties of isolated molecules, bulk solids, and material interfaces, including surfaces. Although the theoretical underpinnings of DFT are quite complicated, this book demonstrates that the basic concepts underlying the calculations are simple enough to be understood by anyone with a background in chemistry, physics, engineering, or mathematics. The authors show how the widespread availability of powerful DFT codes makes it possible for students and researchers to apply this important computational technique to a broad range of fundamental and applied problems. Density Functional Theory: A Practical Introduction offers a concise, easy-to-follow introduction to the key concepts and practical applications of DFT, focusing on plane-wave DFT. The authors have many years of experience introducing DFT to studen...

Van der Waals Attraction and Coalescence of Aqueous Salt Nanodroplets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jungwirth, Pavel; Buch, V.

2003-01-01

Roč. 68, č. 12 (2003), s. 2283-2291 ISSN 0010-0765 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A032 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : van der Waals interactions * aqueous droplets * coalescence Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.041, year: 2003

Teaching Density Functional Theory Through Experiential Learning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimhan, Shobhana

2015-01-01

Today, quantum mechanical density functional theory is often the method of choice for performing accurate calculations on atomic, molecular and condensed matter systems. Here, I share some of my experiences in teaching the necessary basics of solid state physics, as well as the theory and practice of density functional theory, in a number of workshops held in developing countries over the past two decades. I discuss the advantages of supplementing the usual mathematically formal teaching methods, characteristic of graduate courses, with the use of visual imagery and analogies. I also describe a successful experiment we carried out, which resulted in a joint publication co-authored by 67 lecturers and students participating in a summer school. (paper)

Defect mediated van der Waals epitaxy of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Heilmann, M.; Bashouti, M.; Riechert, H.; Lopes, J. M. J.

2018-04-01

Van der Waals heterostructures comprising of hexagonal boron nitride and graphene are promising building blocks for novel two-dimensional devices such as atomically thin transistors or capacitors. However, demonstrators of those devices have been so far mostly fabricated by mechanical assembly, a non-scalable and time-consuming method, where transfer processes can contaminate the surfaces. Here, we investigate a direct growth process for the fabrication of insulating hexagonal boron nitride on high quality epitaxial graphene using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Samples were grown at varying temperatures and times and studied using atomic force microscopy, revealing a growth process limited by desorption at high temperatures. Nucleation was mostly commencing from morphological defects in epitaxial graphene, such as step edges or wrinkles. Raman spectroscopy combined with x-ray photoelectron measurements confirm the formation of hexagonal boron nitride and prove the resilience of graphene against the nitrogen plasma used during the growth process. The electrical properties and defects in the heterostructures were studied with high lateral resolution by tunneling current and Kelvin probe force measurements. This correlated approach revealed a nucleation apart from morphological defects in epitaxial graphene, which is mediated by point defects. The presented results help understanding the nucleation and growth behavior during van der Waals epitaxy of 2D materials, and point out a route for a scalable production of van der Waals heterostructures.

Physisorption of three amine terminated molecules (TMBDA, BDA, TFBDA) on the Au(111) Surface: The Role of van der Waals Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Aminpour, Maral; Le, Duy; Rahman, Talat S.

2012-02-01

Recently, the electronic properties and alignment of tetramethyl-1,4-benzenediamine (TMBDA), 1,4-benzenediamine (BDA) and tetrafluro-1,4-benzenediamine (TFBDA) molecules were studied experimentally. Discrepancies were found for both the binding energy and the molecule tilt angle with respect to the surface, when results were compared with density functional theory calculations [1]. We have included the effect of vdW interactions both between the molecules and the Au(111) surface and find binding energies which are in very good agreement with experiments. We also find that at low coverages each of these molecules would adsorb almost parallel to the surface. N-Au bond lengths and charge redistribution on adsorption of the molecules are also analyzed. Our calculations are based on DFT using vdW-DF exchange correlation functionals. For BDA (since we are aware of experimental data), we show that for higher coverage, inclusion of intermolecular van der Waals interaction leads to tilting of the molecules with respect to the surface and formation of line structures. Our results demonstrate the central role played by intermolecular interaction in pattern formation on this surface.[4pt] [1] M. Dell'Angela et al, Nano Lett. 2010, 10, 2470; M. Kamenetska et al, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2011, 115, 12625

Relationship of Quantum Entanglement to Density Functional Theory

OpenAIRE

Rajagopal, A. K.; Rendell, R. W.

2005-01-01

The maximum von Neumann entropy principle subject to given constraints of mean values of some physical observables determines the density matrix. Similarly the stationary action principle in the case of time-dependent (dissipative) situations under similar constraints yields the density matrix. The free energy and measures of entanglement are expressed in terms of such a density matrix and thus define respective functionals of the mean values. In the light of several model calculations, it is...

Source-Free Exchange-Correlation Magnetic Fields in Density Functional Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, S; Gross, E K U; Sanna, A; Dewhurst, J K

2018-03-13

Spin-dependent exchange-correlation energy functionals in use today depend on the charge density and the magnetization density: E xc [ρ, m]. However, it is also correct to define the functional in terms of the curl of m for physical external fields: E xc [ρ,∇ × m]. The exchange-correlation magnetic field, B xc , then becomes source-free. We study this variation of the theory by uniquely removing the source term from local and generalized gradient approximations to the functional. By doing so, the total Kohn-Sham moments are improved for a wide range of materials for both functionals. Significantly, the moments for the pnictides are now in good agreement with experiment. This source-free method is simple to implement in all existing density functional theory codes.

Chemical hardness and density functional theory

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

RALPH G PEARSON. Chemistry Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Abstract. The concept of chemical hardness is reviewed from a personal point of view. Keywords. Hardness; softness; hard & soft acids bases (HSAB); principle of maximum hardness. (PMH) density functional theory (DFT) ...

Density functional and neural network analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jalkanen, K. J.; Suhai, S.; Bohr, Henrik

1997-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out for hydrated L-alanine, L-alanyl-L-alanine and N-acetyl L-alanine N'-methylamide and examined with respect to the effect of water on the structure, the vibrational frequencies, vibrational absorption (VA) and vibrational circular...

Nuclear energy density functional from chiral pion-nucleon dynamics revisited

OpenAIRE

Kaiser, N.; Weise, W.

2009-01-01

We use a recently improved density-matrix expansion to calculate the nuclear energy density functional in the framework of in-medium chiral perturbation theory. Our calculation treats systematically the effects from $1\\pi$-exchange, iterated $1\\pi$-exchange, and irreducible $2\\pi$-exchange with intermediate $\\Delta$-isobar excitations, including Pauli-blocking corrections up to three-loop order. We find that the effective nucleon mass $M^*(\\rho)$ entering the energy density functional is iden...

Nature of bonding forces between two hydrogen-passivated silicon wafers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stokbro, Kurt; Nielsen, E.; Hult, E.

1998-01-01

The nature and strength of the bonding forces between two II-passivated Si surfaces are studied with the density-functional theory, using an approach based on recent theoretical advances in understanding of van der Waals forces between two surfaces. Contrary to previous suggestions of van der Waals...

Underwater adhesion of abalone: The role of van der Waals and capillary forces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, A.Y.M., E-mail: albertlin22@yahoo.com [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Brunner, R. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)] [Department of Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Chen, P.Y. [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Talke, F.E. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)] [Center for Magnetic Recording Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Meyers, M.A. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)] [Department of Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)] [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2009-08-15

The observation of the pedal foot of the red abalone Haliotis rufescens reveals the presence of micrometer-scaled setae terminating in nanometer-sized cylindrical fibrils, with some resemblance to those found on the gecko foot. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) pull-off force measurements on a single seta are compared with theoretical estimates for van der Waals attraction obtained through the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) equation, approximately 600 nN, and show agreement. The use of the JKR equation is justified through an analysis of the shape of the fibril extremities (parabolic) as well as their diameter ({approx}200 nm). Measurements under varying humidity conditions indicate that additional capillary interactions play a role, since the pull-off force increases with humidity. It is proposed that both van der Waals and capillary forces play a role in the attachment mechanism of H. rufescens, effectively enabling suction to reach its theoretical limit. Bulk pull-off force measurements on entire live animals yield an average detachment stress of 115 kPa, consistent with theoretical estimates. The setae and nanoscale fibril terminations enable compliance to surfaces with a variety of roughnesses, effectively sealing the interface, in addition to providing capillary and van der Waals forces.

Underwater adhesion of abalone: The role of van der Waals and capillary forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, A.Y.M.; Brunner, R.; Chen, P.Y.; Talke, F.E.; Meyers, M.A.

2009-01-01

The observation of the pedal foot of the red abalone Haliotis rufescens reveals the presence of micrometer-scaled setae terminating in nanometer-sized cylindrical fibrils, with some resemblance to those found on the gecko foot. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) pull-off force measurements on a single seta are compared with theoretical estimates for van der Waals attraction obtained through the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) equation, approximately 600 nN, and show agreement. The use of the JKR equation is justified through an analysis of the shape of the fibril extremities (parabolic) as well as their diameter (∼200 nm). Measurements under varying humidity conditions indicate that additional capillary interactions play a role, since the pull-off force increases with humidity. It is proposed that both van der Waals and capillary forces play a role in the attachment mechanism of H. rufescens, effectively enabling suction to reach its theoretical limit. Bulk pull-off force measurements on entire live animals yield an average detachment stress of 115 kPa, consistent with theoretical estimates. The setae and nanoscale fibril terminations enable compliance to surfaces with a variety of roughnesses, effectively sealing the interface, in addition to providing capillary and van der Waals forces.

Reduced density matrix functional theory at finite temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldsiefen, Tim

2012-10-15

Density functional theory (DFT) is highly successful in many fields of research. There are, however, areas in which its performance is rather limited. An important example is the description of thermodynamical variables of a quantum system in thermodynamical equilibrium. Although the finite-temperature version of DFT (FT-DFT) rests on a firm theoretical basis and is only one year younger than its brother, groundstate DFT, it has been successfully applied to only a few problems. Because FT-DFT, like DFT, is in principle exact, these shortcomings can be attributed to the difficulties of deriving valuable functionals for FT-DFT. In this thesis, we are going to present an alternative theoretical description of quantum systems in thermal equilibrium. It is based on the 1-reduced density matrix (1RDM) of the system, rather than on its density and will rather cumbersomly be called finite-temperature reduced density matrix functional theory (FT-RDMFT). Its zero-temperature counterpart (RDMFT) proved to be successful in several fields, formerly difficult to address via DFT. These fields include, for example, the calculation of dissociation energies or the calculation of the fundamental gap, also for Mott insulators. This success is mainly due to the fact that the 1RDM carries more directly accessible ''manybody'' information than the density alone, leading for example to an exact description of the kinetic energy functional. This sparks the hope that a description of thermodynamical systems employing the 1RDM via FT-RDMFT can yield an improvement over FT-DFT. Giving a short review of RDMFT and pointing out difficulties when describing spin-polarized systems initiates our work. We then lay the theoretical framework for FT-RDMFT by proving the required Hohenberg-Kohn-like theorems, investigating and determining the domain of FT-RDMFT functionals and by deriving several properties of the exact functional. Subsequently, we present a perturbative method to

Reduced density matrix functional theory at finite temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldsiefen, Tim

2012-10-01

Density functional theory (DFT) is highly successful in many fields of research. There are, however, areas in which its performance is rather limited. An important example is the description of thermodynamical variables of a quantum system in thermodynamical equilibrium. Although the finite-temperature version of DFT (FT-DFT) rests on a firm theoretical basis and is only one year younger than its brother, groundstate DFT, it has been successfully applied to only a few problems. Because FT-DFT, like DFT, is in principle exact, these shortcomings can be attributed to the difficulties of deriving valuable functionals for FT-DFT. In this thesis, we are going to present an alternative theoretical description of quantum systems in thermal equilibrium. It is based on the 1-reduced density matrix (1RDM) of the system, rather than on its density and will rather cumbersomly be called finite-temperature reduced density matrix functional theory (FT-RDMFT). Its zero-temperature counterpart (RDMFT) proved to be successful in several fields, formerly difficult to address via DFT. These fields include, for example, the calculation of dissociation energies or the calculation of the fundamental gap, also for Mott insulators. This success is mainly due to the fact that the 1RDM carries more directly accessible ''manybody'' information than the density alone, leading for example to an exact description of the kinetic energy functional. This sparks the hope that a description of thermodynamical systems employing the 1RDM via FT-RDMFT can yield an improvement over FT-DFT. Giving a short review of RDMFT and pointing out difficulties when describing spin-polarized systems initiates our work. We then lay the theoretical framework for FT-RDMFT by proving the required Hohenberg-Kohn-like theorems, investigating and determining the domain of FT-RDMFT functionals and by deriving several properties of the exact functional. Subsequently, we present a perturbative method to iteratively construct

Improved density functional calculations for atoms, molecules and surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fricke, B.; Anton, J.; Fritzsche, S.; Sarpe-Tudoran, C.

2005-01-01

The non-collinear and collinear descriptions within relativistic density functional theory is described. We present results of both non-collinear and collinear calculations for atoms, diatomic molecules, and some surface simulations. We find that the accuracy of our density functional calculations for the smaller systems is comparable to good quantum chemical calculations, and thus this method provides a sound basis for larger systems where no such comparison is possible. (author)

Nanoscale measurement of Nernst effect in two-dimensional charge density wave material 1T-TaS2

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Stephen M.; Luican-Mayer, Adina; Bhattacharya, Anand

2017-11-01

Advances in nanoscale material characterization on two-dimensional van der Waals layered materials primarily involve their optical and electronic properties. The thermal properties of these materials are harder to access due to the difficulty of thermal measurements at the nanoscale. In this work, we create a nanoscale magnetothermal device platform to access the basic out-of-plane magnetothermal transport properties of ultrathin van der Waals materials. Specifically, the Nernst effect in the charge density wave transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS2 is examined on nano-thin flakes in a patterned device structure. It is revealed that near the commensurate charge density wave (CCDW) to nearly commensurate charge density wave (NCCDW) phase transition, the polarity of the Nernst effect changes. Since the Nernst effect is especially sensitive to changes in the Fermi surface, this suggests that large changes are occurring in the out-of-plane electronic structure of 1T-TaS2, which are otherwise unresolved in just in-plane electronic transport measurements. This may signal a coherent evolution of out-of-plane stacking in the CCDW → NCCDW transition.

Relativistic density functional theory with picture-change corrected electron density based on infinite-order Douglas-Kroll-Hess method

Science.gov (United States)

Oyama, Takuro; Ikabata, Yasuhiro; Seino, Junji; Nakai, Hiromi

2017-07-01

This Letter proposes a density functional treatment based on the two-component relativistic scheme at the infinite-order Douglas-Kroll-Hess (IODKH) level. The exchange-correlation energy and potential are calculated using the electron density based on the picture-change corrected density operator transformed by the IODKH method. Numerical assessments indicated that the picture-change uncorrected density functional terms generate significant errors, on the order of hartree for heavy atoms. The present scheme was found to reproduce the energetics in the four-component treatment with high accuracy.

Time-dependent quantum fluid density functional theory of hydrogen ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

density functional theory; quantum fluid dynamics. 1. Introduction ... dynamics of strongly non-linear interaction of atoms with intense ... theory and quantum fluid dynamics in real space. .... clear evidence of bond softening since density in the.

Density functional theory for polymeric systems in 2D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Słyk, Edyta; Bryk, Paweł; Roth, Roland

2016-01-01

We propose density functional theory for polymeric fluids in two dimensions. The approach is based on Wertheim’s first order thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) and closely follows density functional theory for polymers proposed by Yu and Wu (2002 J. Chem. Phys . 117 2368). As a simple application we evaluate the density profiles of tangent hard-disk polymers at hard walls. The theoretical predictions are compared against the results of the Monte Carlo simulations. We find that for short chain lengths the theoretical density profiles are in an excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo data. The agreement is less satisfactory for longer chains. The performance of the theory can be improved by recasting the approach using the self-consistent field theory formalism. When the self-avoiding chain statistics is used, the theory yields a marked improvement in the low density limit. Further improvements for long chains could be reached by going beyond the first order of TPT. (paper)

Central depression in nucleonic densities: Trend analysis in the nuclear density functional theory approach

Science.gov (United States)

Schuetrumpf, B.; Nazarewicz, W.; Reinhard, P.-G.

2017-08-01

Background: The central depression of nucleonic density, i.e., a reduction of density in the nuclear interior, has been attributed to many factors. For instance, bubble structures in superheavy nuclei are believed to be due to the electrostatic repulsion. In light nuclei, the mechanism behind the density reduction in the interior has been discussed in terms of shell effects associated with occupations of s orbits. Purpose: The main objective of this work is to reveal mechanisms behind the formation of central depression in nucleonic densities in light and heavy nuclei. To this end, we introduce several measures of the internal nucleonic density. Through the statistical analysis, we study the information content of these measures with respect to nuclear matter properties. Method: We apply nuclear density functional theory with Skyrme functionals. Using the statistical tools of linear least square regression, we inspect correlations between various measures of central depression and model parameters, including nuclear matter properties. We study bivariate correlations with selected quantities as well as multiple correlations with groups of parameters. Detailed correlation analysis is carried out for 34Si for which a bubble structure has been reported recently, 48Ca, and N =82 , 126, and 184 isotonic chains. Results: We show that the central depression in medium-mass nuclei is very sensitive to shell effects, whereas for superheavy systems it is firmly driven by the electrostatic repulsion. An appreciable semibubble structure in proton density is predicted for 294Og, which is currently the heaviest nucleus known experimentally. Conclusion: Our correlation analysis reveals that the central density indicators in nuclei below 208Pb carry little information on parameters of nuclear matter; they are predominantly driven by shell structure. On the other hand, in the superheavy nuclei there exists a clear relationship between the central nucleonic density and symmetry energy.

Density Functional Methods for Shock Physics and High Energy Density Science

Science.gov (United States)

Desjarlais, Michael

2017-06-01

Molecular dynamics with density functional theory has emerged over the last two decades as a powerful and accurate framework for calculating thermodynamic and transport properties with broad application to dynamic compression, high energy density science, and warm dense matter. These calculations have been extensively validated against shock and ramp wave experiments, are a principal component of high-fidelity equation of state generation, and are having wide-ranging impacts on inertial confinement fusion, planetary science, and shock physics research. In addition to thermodynamic properties, phase boundaries, and the equation of state, one also has access to electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and lower energy optical properties. Importantly, all these properties are obtained within the same theoretical framework and are manifestly consistent. In this talk I will give a brief history and overview of molecular dynamics with density functional theory and its use in calculating a wide variety of thermodynamic and transport properties for materials ranging from ambient to extreme conditions and with comparisons to experimental data. I will also discuss some of the limitations and difficulties, as well as active research areas. Sandia is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

The maximal-density mass function for primordial black hole dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Benjamin V.; Profumo, Stefano; Yant, Jackson

2018-04-01

The advent of gravitational wave astronomy has rekindled interest in primordial black holes (PBH) as a dark matter candidate. As there are many different observational probes of the PBH density across different masses, constraints on PBH models are dependent on the functional form of the PBH mass function. This complicates general statements about the mass functions allowed by current data, and, in particular, about the maximum total density of PBH. Numerical studies suggest that some forms of extended mass functions face tighter constraints than monochromatic mass functions, but they do not preclude the existence of a functional form for which constraints are relaxed. We use analytical arguments to show that the mass function which maximizes the fraction of the matter density in PBH subject to all constraints is a finite linear combination of monochromatic mass functions. We explicitly compute the maximum fraction of dark matter in PBH for different combinations of current constraints, allowing for total freedom of the mass function. Our framework elucidates the dependence of the maximum PBH density on the form of observational constraints, and we discuss the implications of current and future constraints for the viability of the PBH dark matter paradigm.

Inflationary magnetogenesis, derivative couplings and relativistic Van der Waals interactions

CERN Document Server

Giovannini, Massimo

2015-01-01

When the gauge fields have derivative couplings to scalars, like in the case of the relativistic theory of Van der Waals (or Casimir-Polder) interactions, conformal invariance is broken but the magnetic and electric susceptibilities are not bound to coincide. We analyze the formation of large-scale magnetic fields in slow-roll inflation and find that they are generated at the level of a few hundredths of a nG and over typical length scales between few Mpc and $100$ Mpc. Using a new time parametrization that reduces to conformal time but only for coincident susceptibilities, the gauge action is quantized while the evolution equations of the corresponding mode functions are more easily solvable. The power spectra depend on the normalized rates of variation of the two susceptibilities (or of the corresponding gauge couplings) and on the absolute value of their ratio at the beginning of inflation. We pin down explicit regions in the parameter space where all the physical requirements (i.e. the backreaction constr...

Theoretical Study of the Pyridine-Helium van der Waals Complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

v, Hubert; Henriksen, Christian; Fernandez, Berta

2015-01-01

In this study we evaluate a high-level ab initio ground-state intermolecular potential-energy surface for the pyridine–He van der Waals complex, using the CCSD(T) method and Dunning’s augmented correlation consistent polarized valence double-ζ basis set extended with a set of 3s3p2d1f1g midbond...

Benchmarks for electronically excited states: Time-dependent density functional theory and density functional theory based multireference configuration interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silva-Junior, Mario R.; Schreiber, Marko; Sauer, Stephan P. A.

2008-01-01

Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and DFT-based multireference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI) calculations are reported for a recently proposed benchmark set of 28 medium-sized organic molecules. Vertical excitation energies, oscillator strengths, and excited-state dipole...

Balancing Exchange Mixing in Density-Functional Approximations for Iron Porphyrin.

Science.gov (United States)

Berryman, Victoria E J; Boyd, Russell J; Johnson, Erin R

2015-07-14

Predicting the correct ground-state multiplicity for iron(II) porphyrin, a high-spin quintet, remains a significant challenge for electronic-structure methods, including commonly employed density functionals. An even greater challenge for these methods is correctly predicting favorable binding of O2 to iron(II) porphyrin, due to the open-shell singlet character of the adduct. In this work, the performance of a modest set of contemporary density-functional approximations is assessed and the results interpreted using Bader delocalization indices. It is found that inclusion of greater proportions of Hartree-Fock exchange, in hybrid or range-separated hybrid functionals, has opposing effects; it improves the ability of the functional to identify the ground state but is detrimental to predicting favorable dioxygen binding. Because of the uncomplementary nature of these properties, accurate prediction of both the relative spin-state energies and the O2 binding enthalpy eludes conventional density-functional approximations.

Joint density-functional theory and its application to systems in solution

Science.gov (United States)

Petrosyan, Sahak A.

The physics of solvation, the interaction of water with solutes, plays a central role in chemistry and biochemistry, and it is essential for the very existence of life. Despite the central importance of water and the advent of the quantum theory early in the twentieth century, the link between the fundamental laws of physics and the observable properties of water remain poorly understood to this day. The central goal of this thesis is to develop a new formalism and framework to make the study of systems (solutes or surfaces) in contact with liquid water as practical and accurate as standard electronic structure calculations without the need for explicit averaging over large ensembles of configurations of water molecules. The thesis introduces a new form of density functional theory for the ab initio description of electronic systems in contact with a molecular liquid environment. This theory rigorously joins an electron density-functional for the electrons of a solute with a classical density-functional theory for the liquid into a single variational principle for the free energy of the combined system. Using the new form of density-functional theory for the ab initio description of electronic systems in contact with a molecular liquid environment, the thesis then presents the first detailed study of the impact of a solvent on the surface chemistry of Cr2O3, the passivating layer of stainless steel alloys. In comparison to a vacuum, we predict that the presence of water has little impact on the adsorption of chloride ions to the oxygen-terminated surface but has a dramatic effect on the binding of hydrogen to that surface. A key ingredient of a successful joint density functional theory is a good approximate functional for describing the solvent. We explore how the simplest examples of the best known class of approximate forms for the classical density functional fail when applied directly to water. The thesis then presents a computationally efficient density-functional

Approach to kinetic energy density functionals: Nonlocal terms with the structure of the von Weizsaecker functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Aldea, David; Alvarellos, J. E.

2008-01-01

We propose a kinetic energy density functional scheme with nonlocal terms based on the von Weizsaecker functional, instead of the more traditional approach where the nonlocal terms have the structure of the Thomas-Fermi functional. The proposed functionals recover the exact kinetic energy and reproduce the linear response function of homogeneous electron systems. In order to assess their quality, we have tested the total kinetic energies as well as the kinetic energy density for atoms. The results show that these nonlocal functionals give as good results as the most sophisticated functionals in the literature. The proposed scheme for constructing the functionals means a step ahead in the field of fully nonlocal kinetic energy functionals, because they are capable of giving better local behavior than the semilocal functionals, yielding at the same time accurate results for total kinetic energies. Moreover, the functionals enjoy the possibility of being evaluated as a single integral in momentum space if an adequate reference density is defined, and then quasilinear scaling for the computational cost can be achieved

On the electric dipole moments of small sodium clusters from different theoretical approaches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguado, Andres, E-mail: aguado@metodos.fam.cie.uva.es [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Atomica, y Optica, Universidad de Valladolid (Spain); Largo, Antonio, E-mail: alargo@qf.uva.es [Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Quimica Inorganica, Universidad de Valladolid (Spain); Vega, Andres, E-mail: vega@fta.uva.es [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Atomica, y Optica, Universidad de Valladolid (Spain); Balbas, Luis Carlos, E-mail: balbas@fta.uva.es [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Atomica, y Optica, Universidad de Valladolid (Spain)

2012-05-03

Graphical abstract: The dipole moments and polarizabilities of a few isomers of sodium clusters of selected sizes (n = 13, 14, 16) are calculated using density functional theory methods as well as ab initio MP2, CASSCF, and MR-CI methods. Among the density functional approaches, we consider the usual local density and generalized gradient approximations, as well as a recent van der Waals self-consistent functional accounting for non-local dispersion interactions. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dipole moment and polarizability of sodium clusters from DFT and ab initio methods. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New van der Waals selfconsistent implementation of non-local dispersion interactions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New starting isomeric geometries from extensive search of global minimum structures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Good agreement with recent experiments at cryogenic temperatures. - Abstract: The dipole moments of Na{sub n} clusters in the size range 10 < n < 20, recently measured at very low temperature (20 K), are much smaller than predicted by standard density functional methods. On the other hand, the calculated static dipole polarizabilities in that range of sizes deviate non-systematically from the measured ones, depending on the employed first principles approach. In this work we calculate the dipole moments and polarizabilities of a few isomers of Na{sub n} clusters of selected sizes (n = 13, 14, 16), obtained recently through an extensive unbiased search of the global minimum structures, and using density functional theory methods as well as ab initio MP2, CASSCF, and MR-CI methods. Among the density functional approaches, we consider the usual local density and generalized gradient approximations, as well as a recent van der Waals self-consistent functional accounting for non-local dispersion interactions. Both non-local pseudopotentials and all-electron implementations are employed and compared in order to assess the possible

Structural and electronic properties of graphene–ZnO interfaces: dispersion-corrected density functional theory investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Pengtao; Tang Qing; Zhou Zhen

2013-01-01

Detailed first-principles computations were performed on the geometric and electronic properties of the interfaces between graphene and ZnO polar surfaces. A notable van der Waals force exists at the interface, and charge transfer occurs between graphene and ZnO as a result of the difference in their work functions. The Dirac point of graphene remains intact despite its adsorption on ZnO, implying that its interaction with ZnO does not affect the superior conductivity of graphene. Excited electrons within the energy range of 0–3 eV (versus Fermi energy) in the hybrid systems are mainly accumulated on graphene. The computations provide a theoretical explanation for the good performance of graphene/ZnO hybrid materials in photocatalysts and solar cells. (paper)

Blue functions: probability and current density propagators in non-relativistic quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Withers, L P Jr

2011-01-01

Like a Green function to propagate a particle's wavefunction in time, a Blue function is introduced to propagate the particle's probability and current density. Accordingly, the complete Blue function has four components. They are constructed from path integrals involving a quantity like the action that we call the motion. The Blue function acts on the displaced probability density as the kernel of an integral operator. As a result, we find that the Wigner density occurs as an expression for physical propagation. We also show that, in quantum mechanics, the displaced current density is conserved bilocally (in two places at one time), as expressed by a generalized continuity equation. (paper)

Imaging of Interlayer Coupling in van der Waals Heterostructures Using a Bright-Field Optical Microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexeev, Evgeny M; Catanzaro, Alessandro; Skrypka, Oleksandr V; Nayak, Pramoda K; Ahn, Seongjoon; Pak, Sangyeon; Lee, Juwon; Sohn, Jung Inn; Novoselov, Kostya S; Shin, Hyeon Suk; Tartakovskii, Alexander I

2017-09-13

Vertically stacked atomic layers from different layered crystals can be held together by van der Waals forces, which can be used for building novel heterostructures, offering a platform for developing a new generation of atomically thin, transparent, and flexible devices. The performance of these devices is critically dependent on the layer thickness and the interlayer electronic coupling, influencing the hybridization of the electronic states as well as charge and energy transfer between the layers. The electronic coupling is affected by the relative orientation of the layers as well as by the cleanliness of their interfaces. Here, we demonstrate an efficient method for monitoring interlayer coupling in heterostructures made from transition metal dichalcogenides using photoluminescence imaging in a bright-field optical microscope. The color and brightness in such images are used here to identify mono- and few-layer crystals and to track changes in the interlayer coupling and the emergence of interlayer excitons after thermal annealing in heterobilayers composed of mechanically exfoliated flakes and as a function of the twist angle in atomic layers grown by chemical vapor deposition. Material and crystal thickness sensitivity of the presented imaging technique makes it a powerful tool for characterization of van der Waals heterostructures assembled by a wide variety of methods, using combinations of materials obtained through mechanical or chemical exfoliation and crystal growth.

Unexpected Ge-Ge contacts in the two-dimensional Ge{sub 4}Se{sub 3}Te phase and analysis of their chemical cause with the density of energy (DOE) function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuepers, Michael; Konze, Philipp M.; Maintz, Stefan; Steinberg, Simon [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Mio, Antonio M.; Cojocaru-Miredin, Oana; Zhu, Min; Wuttig, Matthias [I. Physikalisches Institut, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Mueller, Merlin; Mayer, Joachim [Gemeinschaftslabor fuer Elektronenmikroskopie, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Luysberg, Martina [Ernst-Ruska-Center, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Dronskowski, Richard [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Juelich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-HPC), RWTH Aachen University (Germany)

2017-08-14

A hexagonal phase in the ternary Ge-Se-Te system with an approximate composition of GeSe{sub 0.75}Te{sub 0.25} has been known since the 1960s but its structure has remained unknown. We have succeeded in growing single crystals by chemical transport as a prerequisite to solve and refine the Ge{sub 4}Se{sub 3}Te structure. It consists of layers that are held together by van der Waals type weak chalcogenide-chalcogenide interactions but also display unexpected Ge-Ge contacts, as confirmed by electron microscopy analysis. The nature of the electronic structure of Ge{sub 4}Se{sub 3}Te was characterized by chemical bonding analysis, in particular by the newly introduced density of energy (DOE) function. The Ge-Ge bonding interactions serve to hold electrons that would otherwise go into antibonding Ge-Te contacts. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Density Function Theory, Molecular ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research February 2016; 15 (2): 385-392 ... tested for its antimicrobial activities and computational studies including density function test (DFT) and docking ... agonists [4], selective dopamine D3 and D4 ...

Applications of Density Functional Theory in Soft Condensed Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Löwen, Hartmut

Applications of classical density functional theory (DFT) to soft matter systems like colloids, liquid crystals and polymer solutions are discussed with a focus on the freezing transition and on nonequilibrium Brownian dynamics. First, after a brief reminder of equilibrium density functional theory, DFT is applied to the freezing transition of liquids into crystalline lattices. In particular, spherical particles with radially symmetric pair potentials will be treated (like hard spheres, the classical one-component plasma or Gaussian-core particles). Second, the DFT will be generalized towards Brownian dynamics in order to tackle nonequilibrium problems. After a general introduction to Brownian dynamics using the complementary Smoluchowski and Langevin pictures appropriate for the dynamics of colloidal suspensions, the dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) will be derived from the Smoluchowski equation. This will be done first for spherical particles (e.g. hard spheres or Gaussian-cores) without hydrodynamic interactions. Then we show how to incorporate hydrodynamic interactions between the colloidal particles into the DDFT framework and compare to Brownian dynamics computer simulations. Third orientational degrees of freedom (rod-like particles) will be considered as well. In the latter case, the stability of intermediate liquid crystalline phases (isotropic, nematic, smectic-A, plastic crystals etc) can be predicted. Finally, the corresponding dynamical extension of density functional theory towards orientational degrees of freedom is proposed and the collective behaviour of "active" (self-propelled) Brownian particles is briefly discussed.

Plato: A localised orbital based density functional theory code

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, S. D.; Horsfield, A. P.

2009-12-01

The Plato package allows both orthogonal and non-orthogonal tight-binding as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations to be performed within a single framework. The package also provides extensive tools for analysing the results of simulations as well as a number of tools for creating input files. The code is based upon the ideas first discussed in Sankey and Niklewski (1989) [1] with extensions to allow high-quality DFT calculations to be performed. DFT calculations can utilise either the local density approximation or the generalised gradient approximation. Basis sets from minimal basis through to ones containing multiple radial functions per angular momenta and polarisation functions can be used. Illustrations of how the package has been employed are given along with instructions for its utilisation. Program summaryProgram title: Plato Catalogue identifier: AEFC_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFC_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 219 974 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1 821 493 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C/MPI and PERL Computer: Apple Macintosh, PC, Unix machines Operating system: Unix, Linux and Mac OS X Has the code been vectorised or parallelised?: Yes, up to 256 processors tested RAM: Up to 2 Gbytes per processor Classification: 7.3 External routines: LAPACK, BLAS and optionally ScaLAPACK, BLACS, PBLAS, FFTW Nature of problem: Density functional theory study of electronic structure and total energies of molecules, crystals and surfaces. Solution method: Localised orbital based density functional theory. Restrictions: Tight-binding and density functional theory only, no exact exchange. Unusual features: Both atom centred and uniform meshes available

General framework for fluctuating dynamic density functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Durán-Olivencia, Miguel A.; Yatsyshin, Peter; Goddard, Benjamin D.; Kalliadasis, Serafim

2017-12-01

We introduce a versatile bottom-up derivation of a formal theoretical framework to describe (passive) soft-matter systems out of equilibrium subject to fluctuations. We provide a unique connection between the constituent-particle dynamics of real systems and the time evolution equation of their measurable (coarse-grained) quantities, such as local density and velocity. The starting point is the full Hamiltonian description of a system of colloidal particles immersed in a fluid of identical bath particles. Then, we average out the bath via Zwanzig’s projection-operator techniques and obtain the stochastic Langevin equations governing the colloidal-particle dynamics. Introducing the appropriate definition of the local number and momentum density fields yields a generalisation of the Dean-Kawasaki (DK) model, which resembles the stochastic Navier-Stokes description of a fluid. Nevertheless, the DK equation still contains all the microscopic information and, for that reason, does not represent the dynamical law of observable quantities. We address this controversial feature of the DK description by carrying out a nonequilibrium ensemble average. Adopting a natural decomposition into local-equilibrium and nonequilibrium contribution, where the former is related to a generalised version of the canonical distribution, we finally obtain the fluctuating-hydrodynamic equation governing the time-evolution of the mesoscopic density and momentum fields. Along the way, we outline the connection between the ad hoc energy functional introduced in previous DK derivations and the free-energy functional from classical density-functional theory. The resultant equation has the structure of a dynamical density-functional theory (DDFT) with an additional fluctuating force coming from the random interactions with the bath. We show that our fluctuating DDFT formalism corresponds to a particular version of the fluctuating Navier-Stokes equations, originally derived by Landau and Lifshitz

Dispersion corrected hartree-fock and density functional theory for organic crystal structure prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandenburg, Jan Gerit; Grimme, Stefan

2014-01-01

We present and evaluate dispersion corrected Hartree-Fock (HF) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) based quantum chemical methods for organic crystal structure prediction. The necessity of correcting for missing long-range electron correlation, also known as van der Waals (vdW) interaction, is pointed out and some methodological issues such as inclusion of three-body dispersion terms are discussed. One of the most efficient and widely used methods is the semi-classical dispersion correction D3. Its applicability for the calculation of sublimation energies is investigated for the benchmark set X23 consisting of 23 small organic crystals. For PBE-D3 the mean absolute deviation (MAD) is below the estimated experimental uncertainty of 1.3 kcal/mol. For two larger π-systems, the equilibrium crystal geometry is investigated and very good agreement with experimental data is found. Since these calculations are carried out with huge plane-wave basis sets they are rather time consuming and routinely applicable only to systems with less than about 200 atoms in the unit cell. Aiming at crystal structure prediction, which involves screening of many structures, a pre-sorting with faster methods is mandatory. Small, atom-centered basis sets can speed up the computation significantly but they suffer greatly from basis set errors. We present the recently developed geometrical counterpoise correction gCP. It is a fast semi-empirical method which corrects for most of the inter- and intramolecular basis set superposition error. For HF calculations with nearly minimal basis sets, we additionally correct for short-range basis incompleteness. We combine all three terms in the HF-3c denoted scheme which performs very well for the X23 sublimation energies with an MAD of only 1.5 kcal/mol, which is close to the huge basis set DFT-D3 result.

2D halide perovskite-based van der Waals heterostructures: contact evaluation and performance modulation

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yaguang; Saidi, Wissam A.; Wang, Qian

2017-09-01

Halide perovskites and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are both of current interest owing to their novel properties and potential applications in nano-devices. Here, we show the great potential of 2D halide perovskite sheets (C4H9NH3)2PbX4 (X  =  Cl, Br and I) that were synthesized recently (Dou et al 2015 Science 349 1518-21) as the channel materials contacting with graphene and other 2D metallic sheets to form van der Waals heterostructures for field effect transistor (FET). Based on state-of-the-art theoretical simulations, we show that the intrinsic properties of the 2D halide perovskites are preserved in the heterojunction, which is different from the conventional contact with metal surfaces. The 2D halide perovskites form a p-type Schottky barrier (Φh) contact with graphene, where tunneling barrier exists, and a negative band bending occurs at the lateral interface. We demonstrate that the Schottky barrier can be turned from p-type to n-type by doping graphene with nitrogen atoms, and a low-Φh or an Ohmic contact can be realized by doping graphene with boron atoms or replacing graphene with other high-work-function 2D metallic sheets such as ZT-MoS2, ZT-MoSe2 and H-NbS2. This study not only predicts a 2D halide perovskite-based FETs, but also enhances the understanding of tuning Schottky barrier height in device applications.

Some new exact solitary wave solutions of the van der Waals model arising in nature

Science.gov (United States)

Bibi, Sadaf; Ahmed, Naveed; Khan, Umar; Mohyud-Din, Syed Tauseef

2018-06-01

This work proposes two well-known methods, namely, Exponential rational function method (ERFM) and Generalized Kudryashov method (GKM) to seek new exact solutions of the van der Waals normal form for the fluidized granular matter, linked with natural phenomena and industrial applications. New soliton solutions such as kink, periodic and solitary wave solutions are established coupled with 2D and 3D graphical patterns for clarity of physical features. Our comparison reveals that the said methods excel several existing methods. The worked-out solutions show that the suggested methods are simple and reliable as compared to many other approaches which tackle nonlinear equations stemming from applied sciences.

What Density Functional Theory could do for Quantum Information

Science.gov (United States)

Mattsson, Ann

2015-03-01

The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem of Density Functional Theory (DFT), and extensions thereof, tells us that all properties of a system of electrons can be determined through their density, which uniquely determines the many-body wave-function. Given access to the appropriate, universal, functionals of the density we would, in theory, be able to determine all observables of any electronic system, without explicit reference to the wave-function. On the other hand, the wave-function is at the core of Quantum Information (QI), with the wave-function of a set of qubits being the central computational resource in a quantum computer. While there is seemingly little overlap between DFT and QI, reliance upon observables form a key connection. Though the time-evolution of the wave-function and associated phase information is fundamental to quantum computation, the initial and final states of a quantum computer are characterized by observables of the system. While observables can be extracted directly from a system's wave-function, DFT tells us that we may be able to intuit a method for extracting them from its density. In this talk, I will review the fundamentals of DFT and how these principles connect to the world of QI. This will range from DFT's utility in the engineering of physical qubits, to the possibility of using it to efficiently (but approximately) simulate Hamiltonians at the logical level. The apparent paradox of describing algorithms based on the quantum mechanical many-body wave-function with a DFT-like theory based on observables will remain a focus throughout. The ultimate goal of this talk is to initiate a dialog about what DFT could do for QI, in theory and in practice. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

The QTP family of consistent functionals and potentials in Kohn-Sham density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Yifan; Bartlett, Rodney J., E-mail: bartlett@qtp.ufl.edu [Quantum Theory Project and Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (United States)

2016-07-21

This manuscript presents the second, consistent density functional in the QTP (Quantum Theory Project) family, that is, the CAM-QTP(01). It is a new range-separated exchange-correlation functional in which the non-local exchange contribution is 100% at large separation. It follows the same basic principles of this family that the Kohn-Sham eigenvalues of the occupied orbitals approximately equal the vertical ionization energies, which is not fulfilled by most of the traditional density functional methods. This new CAM-QTP(01) functional significantly improves the accuracy of the vertical excitation energies especially for the Rydberg states in the test set. It also reproduces many other properties such as geometries, reaction barrier heights, and atomization energies.

Density functional study of gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bistricic, L; Volovsek, V; Daani, V; Leskovac, M

2006-01-01

Density functional theory calculations using Becke's three-parameter exchange functional in combination with the Lee-Young-Parr correlation functional (B3-LYP) and standard 6-311 + G(d,p) basis set were carried out to study the conformational stability and vibrational spectra of gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Calculations reveal the existence of two stable conformers trans and gauche. The calculated energy for the gauche conformation was found to be 608 cm -1 above the minimum energy of the trans conformation. Temperature dependence of Raman spectra of liquid APTES and DFT calculation enabled us to identify the vibrational bands characteristic for both conformers. It has been shown that there is an increase in the population of gauche conformer with increasing temperature

Open-system Kohn-Sham density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yongxi; Ernzerhof, Matthias

2012-03-07

A simple model for electron transport through molecules is provided by the source-sink potential (SSP) method [F. Goyer, M. Ernzerhof, and M. Zhuang, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 144104 (2007)]. In SSP, the boundary conditions of having an incoming and outgoing electron current are enforced through complex potentials that are added to the Hamiltonian. Depending on the sign of the imaginary part of the potentials, current density is generated or absorbed. In this way, a finite system can be used to model infinite molecular electronic devices. The SSP has originally been developed for the Hückel method and subsequently it has been extended [F. Goyer and M. Ernzerhof, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 174101 (2011)] to the Hubbard model. Here we present a step towards its generalization for first-principles electronic structure theory methods. In particular, drawing on our earlier work, we discuss a new generalized density functional theory for complex non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. This theory enables us to combine SSP and Kohn-Sham theory to obtain a method for the description of open systems that exchange current density with their environment. Similarly, the Hartree-Fock method is extended to the realm of non-Hermitian, SSP containing Hamiltonians. As a proof of principle, we present the first applications of complex-density functional theory (CODFT) as well as non-Hermitian Hartree-Fock theory to electron transport through molecules. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Density Functional Theory and Materials Modeling at Atomistic Length Scales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swapan K. Ghosh

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract: We discuss the basic concepts of density functional theory (DFT as applied to materials modeling in the microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic length scales. The picture that emerges is that of a single unified framework for the study of both quantum and classical systems. While for quantum DFT, the central equation is a one-particle Schrodinger-like Kohn-Sham equation, the classical DFT consists of Boltzmann type distributions, both corresponding to a system of noninteracting particles in the field of a density-dependent effective potential, the exact functional form of which is unknown. One therefore approximates the exchange-correlation potential for quantum systems and the excess free energy density functional or the direct correlation functions for classical systems. Illustrative applications of quantum DFT to microscopic modeling of molecular interaction and that of classical DFT to a mesoscopic modeling of soft condensed matter systems are highlighted.

Bone mineral density and menstrual function in adolescent female ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bone mineral density and menstrual function in adolescent female long-distance runners - A prospective comparative study of bone structure and menstrual function in adolescent female endurance athletes from five secondary schools in Pretoria.

Effect of the van der Waals interaction on the electron energy-loss near edge structure theoretical calculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katsukura, Hirotaka; Miyata, Tomohiro; Tomita, Kota; Mizoguchi, Teruyasu, E-mail: teru@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2017-07-15

The effect of the van der Waals (vdW) interaction on the simulation of the electron energy-loss near edge structure (ELNES) by a first-principles band-structure calculation is reported. The effect of the vdW interaction is considered by the Tkatchenko-Scheffler scheme, and the change of the spectrum profile and the energy shift are discussed. We perform calculations on systems in the solid, liquid and gaseous states. The transition energy shifts to lower energy by approximately 0.1 eV in the condensed (solid and liquid) systems by introducing the vdW effect into the calculation, whereas the energy shift in the gaseous models is negligible owing to the long intermolecular distance. We reveal that the vdW interaction exhibits a larger effect on the excited state than the ground state owing to the presence of an excited electron in the unoccupied band. Moreover, the vdW effect is found to depend on the local electron density and the molecular coordination. In addition, this study suggests that the detection of the vdW interactions exhibited within materials is possible by a very stable and high resolution observation. - Highlights: • Effect of van der Waals (vdW) interaction in ELNES calculation is investigated. • The vdW interaction influences more to the excited state owing to the presence of excited electron. • The vdW interaction makes spectral shift to lower energy side by 0.1–0.01 eV. • The vdW interaction is negligible in gaseous materials due to long intermolecular distance.

Electric-field switching of two-dimensional van der Waals magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shengwei; Shan, Jie; Mak, Kin Fai

2018-05-01

Controlling magnetism by purely electrical means is a key challenge to better information technology1. A variety of material systems, including ferromagnetic (FM) metals2-4, FM semiconductors5, multiferroics6-8 and magnetoelectric (ME) materials9,10, have been explored for the electric-field control of magnetism. The recent discovery of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals magnets11,12 has opened a new door for the electrical control of magnetism at the nanometre scale through a van der Waals heterostructure device platform13. Here we demonstrate the control of magnetism in bilayer CrI3, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor in its ground state12, by the application of small gate voltages in field-effect devices and the detection of magnetization using magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) microscopy. The applied electric field creates an interlayer potential difference, which results in a large linear ME effect, whose sign depends on the interlayer AFM order. We also achieve a complete and reversible electrical switching between the interlayer AFM and FM states in the vicinity of the interlayer spin-flip transition. The effect originates from the electric-field dependence of the interlayer exchange bias.

Semi-local machine-learned kinetic energy density functional with third-order gradients of electron density

Science.gov (United States)

Seino, Junji; Kageyama, Ryo; Fujinami, Mikito; Ikabata, Yasuhiro; Nakai, Hiromi

2018-06-01

A semi-local kinetic energy density functional (KEDF) was constructed based on machine learning (ML). The present scheme adopts electron densities and their gradients up to third-order as the explanatory variables for ML and the Kohn-Sham (KS) kinetic energy density as the response variable in atoms and molecules. Numerical assessments of the present scheme were performed in atomic and molecular systems, including first- and second-period elements. The results of 37 conventional KEDFs with explicit formulae were also compared with those of the ML KEDF with an implicit formula. The inclusion of the higher order gradients reduces the deviation of the total kinetic energies from the KS calculations in a stepwise manner. Furthermore, our scheme with the third-order gradient resulted in the closest kinetic energies to the KS calculations out of the presented functionals.

Many-body study of van der Waals interaction involving lithium and rare-gas atoms and its contribution to hyperfine shifts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, B.K.; Das, T.P.

1982-01-01

Using linked cluster many-body perturbation theory, the frequency-dependent dipole polarizabilities a(ω) has been calculated for the lithium atom. The value of a(ω) at the static limit (169.04 a 0 3 ) matches well with other available theoretical values and experimental results. These values have been used to calculate the van der Waals constants for interactions of lithium, helium and neon atoms. The values of the van der Waals constants for dipole-dipole interaction in atomic units are -22.9, -44.8, -1465.8, 184950.0, 2011.8, 3896.5, 30.3, 59.0 and 115.1 for Li-He, Li-Ne, Li-Li, Li-Li-Li, Li-Li-He, Li-Li-Ne, Li-He-He, Li-He-Ne and Li-Ne-Ne interactions respectively. Obtaining the suitable response functions for lithium and helium atoms, the long range contribution to Δa(r)/a 0 in the study of fractional frequency shift in hyperfine pressure and temperature shift measurements is obtained as -541 atomic units. (author)

Response functions of cold neutron matter: density, spin and current fluctuations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keller, Jochen; Sedrakian, Armen [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Goethe-Universitaet, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2014-07-01

We study the response of a single-component pair-correlated baryonic Fermi-liquid to density, spin, and their current perturbations. A complete set of response functions is calculated in the low-temperature regime. We derive the spectral functions of collective excitations associated with the density, density-current, spin, and spin-current perturbations. The dispersion relations of density and spin fluctuations are determined and it is shown that the density fluctuations lead to exciton-like undamped bound states, whereas the spin excitations correspond to diffusive modes above the pair-breaking threshold. The contribution of the collective pair-breaking modes to the specific heat of neutron matter at subnuclear densities is computed and is shown to be comparable to that of the degenerate electron gas at not too low temperatures.

Inventarisatie van mogelijke effecten van kribverlaging in de Waal op de beroepsvisserij

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Winter, H.V.

2011-01-01

Om de hoogwaterveiligheid van het rivierengebied te vergroten is het doel van Rijkswaterstaat om eind 2015 ca. 500 kribben in de Waal verlaagd te hebben en daarnaast langsdammen aangelegd te hebben tussen Wamel en Ophemert. In deze korte deskstudie wordt een inventarisatie gemaakt van mogelijke

On extending Kohn-Sham density functionals to systems with fractional number of electrons.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chen; Lu, Jianfeng; Yang, Weitao

2017-06-07

We analyze four ways of formulating the Kohn-Sham (KS) density functionals with a fractional number of electrons, through extending the constrained search space from the Kohn-Sham and the generalized Kohn-Sham (GKS) non-interacting v-representable density domain for integer systems to four different sets of densities for fractional systems. In particular, these density sets are (I) ensemble interacting N-representable densities, (II) ensemble non-interacting N-representable densities, (III) non-interacting densities by the Janak construction, and (IV) non-interacting densities whose composing orbitals satisfy the Aufbau occupation principle. By proving the equivalence of the underlying first order reduced density matrices associated with these densities, we show that sets (I), (II), and (III) are equivalent, and all reduce to the Janak construction. Moreover, for functionals with the ensemble v-representable assumption at the minimizer, (III) reduces to (IV) and thus justifies the previous use of the Aufbau protocol within the (G)KS framework in the study of the ground state of fractional electron systems, as defined in the grand canonical ensemble at zero temperature. By further analyzing the Aufbau solution for different density functional approximations (DFAs) in the (G)KS scheme, we rigorously prove that there can be one and only one fractional occupation for the Hartree Fock functional, while there can be multiple fractional occupations for general DFAs in the presence of degeneracy. This has been confirmed by numerical calculations using the local density approximation as a representative of general DFAs. This work thus clarifies important issues on density functional theory calculations for fractional electron systems.

Nonlocal and Nonadiabatic Effects in the Charge-Density Response of Solids: A Time-Dependent Density-Functional Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Panholzer, Martin; Gatti, Matteo; Reining, Lucia

2018-04-01

The charge-density response of extended materials is usually dominated by the collective oscillation of electrons, the plasmons. Beyond this feature, however, intriguing many-body effects are observed. They cannot be described by one of the most widely used approaches for the calculation of dielectric functions, which is time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) in the adiabatic local density approximation (ALDA). Here, we propose an approximation to the TDDFT exchange-correlation kernel which is nonadiabatic and nonlocal. It is extracted from correlated calculations in the homogeneous electron gas, where we have tabulated it for a wide range of wave vectors and frequencies. A simple mean density approximation allows one to use it in inhomogeneous materials where the density varies on a scale of 1.6 rs or faster. This kernel contains effects that are completely absent in the ALDA; in particular, it correctly describes the double plasmon in the dynamic structure factor of sodium, and it shows the characteristic low-energy peak that appears in systems with low electronic density. It also leads to an overall quantitative improvement of spectra.

A Comparative Density Functional Theory and Density Functional Tight Binding Study of Phases of Nitrogen Including a High Energy Density Material N8

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas Capel

2015-11-01

Full Text Available We present a comparative dispersion-corrected Density Functional Theory (DFT and Density Functional Tight Binding (DFTB-D study of several phases of nitrogen, including the well-known alpha, beta, and gamma phases as well as recently discovered highly energetic phases: covalently bound cubic gauche (cg nitrogen and molecular (vdW-bound N8 crystals. Among several tested parametrizations of N–N interactions for DFTB, we identify only one that is suitable for modeling of all these phases. This work therefore establishes the applicability of DFTB-D to studies of phases, including highly metastable phases, of nitrogen, which will be of great use for modelling of dynamics of reactions involving these phases, which may not be practical with DFT due to large required space and time scales. We also derive a dispersion-corrected DFT (DFT-D setup (atom-centered basis parameters and Grimme dispersion parameters tuned for accurate description simultaneously of several nitrogen allotropes including covalently and vdW-bound crystals and including high-energy phases.

The use of perturbation theory in density-functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goerling, A.

1996-01-01

Perturbation theory with respect to the electron-electron interaction leads to expressions for the exchange and correlation energies and potentials in terms of Kohn-Sham orbitals and Kohn-Sham eigenvalues. An exact open-quote exchange-only close-quote procedure for solids is introduced. Results for several semiconductors are presented. Perturbation theory expansions for the hardness of molecules and the bad gap of solids are given. Density-functional exchange and correlation energies for excited states are defined and a perturbation theory based Kohn-Sham formalism to treat excited states within density-functional theory is introduced

Turbulent mixing of a slightly supercritical van der Waals fluid at low-Mach number

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battista, F.; Casciola, C. M.; Picano, F.

2014-01-01

Supercritical fluids near the critical point are characterized by liquid-like densities and gas-like transport properties. These features are purposely exploited in different contexts ranging from natural products extraction/fractionation to aerospace propulsion. Large part of studies concerns this last context, focusing on the dynamics of supercritical fluids at high Mach number where compressibility and thermodynamics strictly interact. Despite the widespread use also at low Mach number, the turbulent mixing properties of slightly supercritical fluids have still not investigated in detail in this regime. This topic is addressed here by dealing with Direct Numerical Simulations of a coaxial jet of a slightly supercritical van der Waals fluid. Since acoustic effects are irrelevant in the low Mach number conditions found in many industrial applications, the numerical model is based on a suitable low-Mach number expansion of the governing equation. According to experimental observations, the weakly supercritical regime is characterized by the formation of finger-like structures – the so-called ligaments – in the shear layers separating the two streams. The mechanism of ligament formation at vanishing Mach number is extracted from the simulations and a detailed statistical characterization is provided. Ligaments always form whenever a high density contrast occurs, independently of real or perfect gas behaviors. The difference between real and perfect gas conditions is found in the ligament small-scale structure. More intense density gradients and thinner interfaces characterize the near critical fluid in comparison with the smoother behavior of the perfect gas. A phenomenological interpretation is here provided on the basis of the real gas thermodynamics properties

Turbulent mixing of a slightly supercritical van der Waals fluid at low-Mach number

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Battista, F.; Casciola, C. M. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University, via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome (Italy); Picano, F. [Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova (Italy)

2014-05-15

Supercritical fluids near the critical point are characterized by liquid-like densities and gas-like transport properties. These features are purposely exploited in different contexts ranging from natural products extraction/fractionation to aerospace propulsion. Large part of studies concerns this last context, focusing on the dynamics of supercritical fluids at high Mach number where compressibility and thermodynamics strictly interact. Despite the widespread use also at low Mach number, the turbulent mixing properties of slightly supercritical fluids have still not investigated in detail in this regime. This topic is addressed here by dealing with Direct Numerical Simulations of a coaxial jet of a slightly supercritical van der Waals fluid. Since acoustic effects are irrelevant in the low Mach number conditions found in many industrial applications, the numerical model is based on a suitable low-Mach number expansion of the governing equation. According to experimental observations, the weakly supercritical regime is characterized by the formation of finger-like structures – the so-called ligaments – in the shear layers separating the two streams. The mechanism of ligament formation at vanishing Mach number is extracted from the simulations and a detailed statistical characterization is provided. Ligaments always form whenever a high density contrast occurs, independently of real or perfect gas behaviors. The difference between real and perfect gas conditions is found in the ligament small-scale structure. More intense density gradients and thinner interfaces characterize the near critical fluid in comparison with the smoother behavior of the perfect gas. A phenomenological interpretation is here provided on the basis of the real gas thermodynamics properties.

Comment on "Nonuniqueness of algebraic first-order density-matrix functionals"

Science.gov (United States)

Gritsenko, O. V.

2018-02-01

Wang and Knowles (WK) [Phys. Rev. A 92, 012520 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevA.92.012520] have given a counterexample to the conventional in reduced density-matrix functional theory representation of the second-order reduced density matrix (2RDM) Γi j ,k l in the basis of the natural orbitals as a function Γi j ,k l(n ) of the orbital occupation numbers (ONs) ni. The observed nonuniqueness of Γi j ,k l for prototype systems of different symmetry has been interpreted as the inherent inability of ON functions to reproduce the 2RDM, due to the insufficient information contained in the 1RDM spectrum. In this Comment, it is argued that, rather than totally invalidating Γi j ,k l(n ) , the WK example exposes its symmetry dependence which, as well as the previously established analogous dependence in density functional theory, is demonstrated with a general formulation based on the Levy constrained search.

Bandgap engineering and charge separation in two-dimensional GaS-based van der Waals heterostructures for photocatalytic water splitting

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Biao; Kuang, Anlong; Luo, Xukai; Wang, Guangzhao; Yuan, Hongkuan; Chen, Hong

2018-05-01

Two-dimensional (2D) gallium sulfide (GaS), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) have been fabricated and expected to be promising photocatalysts under ultraviolet irradiation. Here, we employ hybrid density functional calculations to explore the potential of the 2D GaS-based heterojunctions GaS/h-BN (g-C3N4) for the design of efficient water redox photocatalysts. Both heterostructures can be formed via van der Waals (vdW) interaction and are direct bandgap semiconductors, whose bandgaps are reduced comparing with isolated GaS, h-BN or g-C3N4 monolayers and whose bandedges straddle water redox potentials. Furthermore, the optical absorption of GaS/h-BN (g-C3N4) heterostructures is observably enhanced in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light range. The electron-hole pairs in GaS/h-BN (g-C3N4) heterostructures are completely separated from different layers. In addition, the in-plane biaxial strain can effectively modulate the electronic properties of GaS/h-BN (g-C3N4) heterostructures. Thus the GaS/h-BN (g-C3N4) heterostructures are anticipated to be promising candidates for photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen.

Density functional theory calculations of charge transport properties ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ZIRAN CHEN

2017-08-04

Aug 4, 2017 ... properties of 'plate-like' coronene topological structures ... Keywords. Organic semiconductors; density functional theory; charge carrier mobility; ambipolar transport; ..... nology Department of Sichuan Province (Grant Number.

Towards improved local hybrid functionals by calibration of exchange-energy densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbuznikov, Alexei V.; Kaupp, Martin

2014-01-01

A new approach for the calibration of (semi-)local and exact exchange-energy densities in the context of local hybrid functionals is reported. The calibration functions are derived from only the electron density and its spatial derivatives, avoiding spatial derivatives of the exact-exchange energy density or other computationally unfavorable contributions. The calibration functions fulfill the seven more important out of nine known exact constraints. It is shown that calibration improves substantially the definition of a non-dynamical correlation energy term for generalized gradient approximation (GGA)-based local hybrids. Moreover, gauge artifacts in the potential-energy curves of noble-gas dimers may be corrected by calibration. The developed calibration functions are then evaluated for a large range of energy-related properties (atomization energies, reaction barriers, ionization potentials, electron affinities, and total atomic energies) of three sets of local hybrids, using a simple one-parameter local-mixing. The functionals are based on (a) local spin-density approximation (LSDA) or (b) Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange and correlation, and on (c) Becke-88 (B88) exchange and Lee-Yang-Parr (LYP) correlation. While the uncalibrated GGA-based functionals usually provide very poor thermochemical data, calibration allows a dramatic improvement, accompanied by only a small deterioration of reaction barriers. In particular, an optimized BLYP-based local-hybrid functional has been found that is a substantial improvement over the underlying global hybrids, as well as over previously reported LSDA-based local hybrids. It is expected that the present calibration approach will pave the way towards new generations of more accurate hyper-GGA functionals based on a local mixing of exchange-energy densities

A density functional study of backbone structures of polydiacetylene: destabilization of butatriene structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katagiri, Hideki; Shimoi, Yukihiro; Abe, Shuji

2004-01-01

Backbone structures of polydiacetylene are studied with first-principles electronic structure method using plane-waves within generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of density functional theory. In spin-restricted calculations a coarse k-point sampling gives a potential energy curve with two local minima corresponding to acetylene and butatriene structures. However, the potential barrier between the two structures rapidly decreases with increasing number of k-points, which results in destabilization of the butatriene structure. Spin polarization effects also destabilize the butatriene structure, inducing atom-centered spin-density-wave state. These potential energies were compared with those obtained by Hartree-Fock, density functional within local density approximation (LDA) and GGA, and hybrid density functional methods using a gaussian basis set. The comparison shows that the density functional methods within LDA and GGA favor the destabilization of the butatriene structure in contrast to the Hartree-Fock method

Applications of Skyrme energy-density functional to fusion reactions spanning the fusion barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Min; Wang, Ning; Li Zhuxia; Wu Xizhen; Zhao Enguang

2006-01-01

The Skyrme energy density functional has been applied to the study of heavy-ion fusion reactions. The barriers for fusion reactions are calculated by the Skyrme energy density functional with proton and neutron density distributions determined by using restricted density variational (RDV) method within the same energy density functional together with semi-classical approach known as the extended semi-classical Thomas-Fermi method. Based on the fusion barrier obtained, we propose a parametrization of the empirical barrier distribution to take into account the multi-dimensional character of real barrier and then apply it to calculate the fusion excitation functions in terms of barrier penetration concept. A large number of measured fusion excitation functions spanning the fusion barriers can be reproduced well. The competition between suppression and enhancement effects on sub-barrier fusion caused by neutron-shell-closure and excess neutron effects is studied

Spontaneous doping on high quality talc-graphene-hBN van der Waals heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Mania, E.; Alencar, A. B.; Cadore, A. R.; Carvalho, B. R.; Watanabe, K.; Taniguchi, T.; Neves, B. R. A.; Chacham, H.; Campos, L. C.

2017-09-01

Steady doping, added to its remarkable electronic properties, would make graphene a valuable commodity in the solar cell market, as energy power conversion could be substantially increased. Here we report a graphene van der Waals heterostructure which is able to spontaneously dope graphene (p-type) up to n ~ 2.2  ×  1013 cm-2 while providing excellent charge mobility (μ ~ 25 000 cm2 V-1 s-1). Such properties are achieved via deposition of graphene on atomically flat layered talc, a natural and abundant dielectric crystal. Raman investigation shows a preferential charge accumulation on graphene-talc van der Waals heterostructures, which are investigated through the electronic properties of talc/graphene/hBN heterostructure devices. These heterostructures preserve graphene’s good electronic quality, verified by the observation of quantum Hall effect at low magnetic fields (B  =  0.4 T) at T  =  4.2 K. In order to investigate the physical mechanisms behind graphene-on-talc p-type doping, we performed first-principles calculations of their interface structural and electronic properties. In addition to potentially improving solar cell efficiency, graphene doping via van der Waals stacking is also a promising route towards controlling the band gap opening in bilayer graphene, promoting a steady n or p type doping in graphene and, eventually, providing a new path to access superconducting states in graphene, predicted to exist only at very high doping.

Isobaric-Isothermal Molecular Dynamics Utilizing Density Functional Theory: An Assessment of the Structure and Density of Water at Near-Ambient Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, J.; VandeVondele, J.; Kuo, I.W.; Sebastiani, D.; Siepmann, J.I.; Hutter, J.; Mundy, C.J.

2009-01-01

We present herein a comprehensive density functional theory study toward assessing the accuracy of two popular gradient-corrected exchange correlation functionals on the structure and density of liquid water at near ambient conditions in the isobaric-isothermal ensemble. Our results indicate that both PBE and BLYP functionals under predict the density and over structure the liquid. Adding the dispersion correction due to Grimme(1, 2) improves the predicted densities for both BLYP and PBE in a significant manner. Moreover, the addition of the dispersion correction for BLYP yields an oxygen-oxygen radial distribution function in excellent agreement with experiment. Thus, we conclude that one can obtain a very satisfactory model for water using BLYP and a correction for dispersion.

Non-local energy density functionals: models plus some exact general results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

March, N.H.

2001-02-01

Holas and March (Phys. Rev. A51, 2040, 1995) gave a formally exact expression for the force - δV xc (r-tilde)/δr-tilde associated with the exchange-correlation potential V xc (r-tilde) of density functional theory. This forged a precise link between first- and second-order density matrices and V xc (r-tilde). Here models are presented in which these low-order matrices can be related to the ground-state electron density. This allows non-local energy density functionals to be constructed within the framework of such models. Finally, results emerging from these models have led to the derivation of some exact 'nuclear cusp' relations for exchange and correlation energy densities in molecules, clusters and condensed phases. (author)

Pattern-free thermal modulator via thermal radiation between Van der Waals materials

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xianglei; Shen, Jiadong; Xuan, Yimin

2017-10-01

Modulating heat flux provides a platform for a plethora of emerging devices such as thermal diodes, thermal transistors, and thermal memories. Here, a pattern-free noncontact thermal modulator is proposed based on the mechanical rotation between two Van der Waals films with optical axes parallel to the surfaces. A modulation contrast can reach a value higher than 5 for hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) films separated by a nanoscale gap distance. The dominant radiative heat exchange comes from the excitation of both Type I and Type II hyperbolic surface phonon polaritons (HSPhPs) at the vacuum-hBN interface for different orientations, while the large modulation contrast is mainly attributed to the mismatching Type I HSPhPs induced by rotation. This work opens the possibility to design cheap thermal modulators without relying on nanofabrication techniques, and paves the way to apply natural Van der Waals materials in manipulating heat currents in an active way.

Van der Waals Attraction of Vortices in Anisotropic and Layered Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blatter, G.; Geshkenbein, V.

1996-01-01

We show that in anisotropic and layered superconductors the fluctuations of vortex lines produce an attractive long-range vortex-vortex interaction of the van der Waals type. This attraction follows from the anisotropic screening properties of the material and has profound consequences for the low-field phase diagram of these materials. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Geometrical correction for the inter- and intramolecular basis set superposition error in periodic density functional theory calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandenburg, Jan Gerit; Alessio, Maristella; Civalleri, Bartolomeo; Peintinger, Michael F; Bredow, Thomas; Grimme, Stefan

2013-09-26

We extend the previously developed geometrical correction for the inter- and intramolecular basis set superposition error (gCP) to periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We report gCP results compared to those from the standard Boys-Bernardi counterpoise correction scheme and large basis set calculations. The applicability of the method to molecular crystals as the main target is tested for the benchmark set X23. It consists of 23 noncovalently bound crystals as introduced by Johnson et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 2012, 137, 054103) and refined by Tkatchenko et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 2013, 139, 024705). In order to accurately describe long-range electron correlation effects, we use the standard atom-pairwise dispersion correction scheme DFT-D3. We show that a combination of DFT energies with small atom-centered basis sets, the D3 dispersion correction, and the gCP correction can accurately describe van der Waals and hydrogen-bonded crystals. Mean absolute deviations of the X23 sublimation energies can be reduced by more than 70% and 80% for the standard functionals PBE and B3LYP, respectively, to small residual mean absolute deviations of about 2 kcal/mol (corresponding to 13% of the average sublimation energy). As a further test, we compute the interlayer interaction of graphite for varying distances and obtain a good equilibrium distance and interaction energy of 6.75 Å and -43.0 meV/atom at the PBE-D3-gCP/SVP level. We fit the gCP scheme for a recently developed pob-TZVP solid-state basis set and obtain reasonable results for the X23 benchmark set and the potential energy curve for water adsorption on a nickel (110) surface.

Density functional application to strongly correlated electron systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eschrig, H.; Koepernik, K.; Chaplygin, I.

2003-01-01

The local spin density approximation plus onsite Coulomb repulsion approach (LSDA+U) to density functional theory is carefully reanalyzed. Its possible link to single-particle Green's function theory is occasionally discussed. A simple and elegant derivation of the important sum rules for the on-site interaction matrix elements linking them to the values of U and J is presented. All necessary expressions for an implementation of LSDA+U into a non-orthogonal basis solver for the Kohn-Sham equations are given, and implementation into the full-potential local-orbital solver (Phys. Rev. B 59 (1999) 1743) is made. Results of application to several planar cuprate structures are reported in detail and conclusions on the interpretation of the physics of the electronic structure of the cuprates are drawn

Tunneling spectroscopy on semiconductors with a low surface state density

OpenAIRE

Sommerhalter, Christof; Matthes, Thomas W.; Boneberg, Johannes; Leiderer, Paul; Lux-Steiner, Martha Christina

1997-01-01

A detailed study of tunneling spectroscopy concerning semiconductors with a low surface state density is presented. For this purpose, I V curves under dark conditions and under illumination were measured on the (0001) van der Waals surface of a p-type WS2 single crystal, which is known to be free of intrinsic surface states. The measurements are interpreted by an analytical one-dimensional metal-insulator-semiconductor model, which shows that the presence of the finite tunneling current has ...

Density-correlation functions in Calogero-Sutherland models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minahan, J.A.; Polychronakos, A.P.

1994-01-01

Using arguments from two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory and the collective coordinate formulation of the Calogero-Sutherland model, we conjecture the dynamical density-correlation function for coupling l and 1/l, where l is an integer. We present overwhelming evidence that the conjecture is indeed correct

Density correlation functions in Calogero-Sutherland models

CERN Document Server

Minahan, Joseph A.; Joseph A Minahan; Alexios P Polychronakos

1994-01-01

Using arguments from two dimensional Yang-Mills theory and the collective coordinate formulation of the Calogero-Sutherland model, we conjecture the dynamical density correlation function for coupling l and 1/l, where l is an integer. We present overwhelming evidence that the conjecture is indeed correct.

Multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory: barrier heights and main group and transition metal energetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Rebecca K; Li Manni, Giovanni; Sonnenberger, Andrew L; Truhlar, Donald G; Gagliardi, Laura

2015-01-13

Kohn-Sham density functional theory, resting on the representation of the electronic density and kinetic energy by a single Slater determinant, has revolutionized chemistry, but for open-shell systems, the Kohn-Sham Slater determinant has the wrong symmetry properties as compared to an accurate wave function. We have recently proposed a theory, called multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT), in which the electronic kinetic energy and classical Coulomb energy are calculated from a multiconfiguration wave function with the correct symmetry properties, and the rest of the energy is calculated from a density functional, called the on-top density functional, that depends on the density and the on-top pair density calculated from this wave function. We also proposed a simple way to approximate the on-top density functional by translation of Kohn-Sham exchange-correlation functionals. The method is much less expensive than other post-SCF methods for calculating the dynamical correlation energy starting with a multiconfiguration self-consistent-field wave function as the reference wave function, and initial tests of the theory were quite encouraging. Here, we provide a broader test of the theory by applying it to bond energies of main-group molecules and transition metal complexes, barrier heights and reaction energies for diverse chemical reactions, proton affinities, and the water dimerization energy. Averaged over 56 data points, the mean unsigned error is 3.2 kcal/mol for MC-PDFT, as compared to 6.9 kcal/mol for Kohn-Sham theory with a comparable density functional. MC-PDFT is more accurate on average than complete active space second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) for main-group small-molecule bond energies, alkyl bond dissociation energies, transition-metal-ligand bond energies, proton affinities, and the water dimerization energy.

Evidence for van der Waals adhesion in gecko setae

OpenAIRE

Autumn, Kellar; Sitti, Metin; Liang, Yiching A.; Peattie, Anne M.; Hansen, Wendy R.; Sponberg, Simon; Kenny, Thomas W.; Fearing, Ronald; Israelachvili, Jacob N.; Full, Robert J.

2002-01-01

Geckos have evolved one of the most versatile and effective adhesives known. The mechanism of dry adhesion in the millions of setae on the toes of geckos has been the focus of scientific study for over a century. We provide the first direct experimental evidence for dry adhesion of gecko setae by van der Waals forces, and reject the use of mechanisms relying on high surface polarity, including capillary adhesion. The toes of live Tokay geckos were highly hydrophobic, and adhered equally well ...

Van der Waals Forces and Photon-Less Effective Field Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arriola, E.R.

2011-01-01

In the ultra-cold regime Van der Waals forces between neutral atoms can be represented by short range effective interactions. We show that universal low energy scaling features of the underlying vdW long range force stemming from two photon exchange impose restrictions on an Effective Field Theory without explicit photons. The role of naively redundant operators, relevant to the definition of three body forces, is also analyzed. (author)

Color van der Waals force acting in heavy-ion scattering at low energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.S.; Lima, C.L.; Pato, M.P.; Bertulani, C.A.

1990-01-01

The influence of the color van der Waals force in the elastic scattering of 208 Pb on 208 Pb at sub-barrier energies is studied. The conspicuous changes in the Mott oscillation found here are suggested as a possible experimental test

Vertical dielectric screening of few-layer van der Waals semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Jahyun; Gao, Shiyuan; Lee, Hoonkyung; Yang, Li

2017-10-05

Vertical dielectric screening is a fundamental parameter of few-layer van der Waals two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. However, unlike the widely-accepted wisdom claiming that the vertical dielectric screening is sensitive to the thickness, our first-principles calculation based on the linear response theory (within the weak field limit) reveals that this screening is independent of the thickness and, in fact, it is the same as the corresponding bulk value. This conclusion is verified in a wide range of 2D paraelectric semiconductors, covering narrow-gap ones and wide-gap ones with different crystal symmetries, providing an efficient and reliable way to calculate and predict static dielectric screening of reduced-dimensional materials. Employing this conclusion, we satisfactorily explain the tunable band gap in gated 2D semiconductors. We further propose to engineer the vertical dielectric screening by changing the interlayer distance via vertical pressure or hybrid structures. Our predicted vertical dielectric screening can substantially simplify the understanding of a wide range of measurements and it is crucial for designing 2D functional devices.

Level Densities and Radiative Strength Functions in 170,171Yb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agvaanluvsan, U.; Schiller, A.; Becker, J.A.; Berstein, L.A.; Guttormsen, M.; Mitchell, G.E.; Rekstad, J.; Siem, S.; Voinov, A.

2003-01-01

Level densities and radiative strength functions in 171 Yb and 170 Yb nuclei have been measured with the 171 Yb( 3 He, 3 He(prime) γ) 171 Yb and 171 Yb( 3 He, αγ) 170 Yb reactions. A simultaneous determination of the nuclear level density and the radiative strength function was made. The present data adds to and is consistent with previous results for several other rare earth nuclei. The method will be briefly reviewed and the result from the analysis will be presented. The radiative strength function for 171 Yb is compared to previously published work.

Treatment of Layered Structures Using a Semilocal meta-GGA Density Functional

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Georg; Ferrighi, Lara; Hammer, Bjørk

2010-01-01

Density functional theory calculations on solids consisting of covalently bonded layers held together by dispersive interactions are presented. Utilizing the kinetic energy density in addition to the density and its gradients gives the meta-generalized gradient approximation (MGGA) M06-L enough...

Density-functional theory of atoms and molecules

CERN Document Server

Parr, Robert G

1995-01-01

Provides an account of the fundamental principles of the density-functional theory of the electronic structure of matter and its applications to atoms and molecules. This book contains a discussion of the chemical potential and its derivatives. It is intended for physicists, chemists, and advanced students in chemistry.

Probability density function method for variable-density pressure-gradient-driven turbulence and mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakosi, Jozsef; Ristorcelli, Raymond J.

2010-01-01

Probability density function (PDF) methods are extended to variable-density pressure-gradient-driven turbulence. We apply the new method to compute the joint PDF of density and velocity in a non-premixed binary mixture of different-density molecularly mixing fluids under gravity. The full time-evolution of the joint PDF is captured in the highly non-equilibrium flow: starting from a quiescent state, transitioning to fully developed turbulence and finally dissipated by molecular diffusion. High-Atwood-number effects (as distinguished from the Boussinesq case) are accounted for: both hydrodynamic turbulence and material mixing are treated at arbitrary density ratios, with the specific volume, mass flux and all their correlations in closed form. An extension of the generalized Langevin model, originally developed for the Lagrangian fluid particle velocity in constant-density shear-driven turbulence, is constructed for variable-density pressure-gradient-driven flows. The persistent small-scale anisotropy, a fundamentally 'non-Kolmogorovian' feature of flows under external acceleration forces, is captured by a tensorial diffusion term based on the external body force. The material mixing model for the fluid density, an active scalar, is developed based on the beta distribution. The beta-PDF is shown to be capable of capturing the mixing asymmetry and that it can accurately represent the density through transition, in fully developed turbulence and in the decay process. The joint model for hydrodynamics and active material mixing yields a time-accurate evolution of the turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress anisotropy without resorting to gradient diffusion hypotheses, and represents the mixing state by the density PDF itself, eliminating the need for dubious mixing measures. Direct numerical simulations of the homogeneous Rayleigh-Taylor instability are used for model validation.

Using the minimum principle for the Helmholtz free energy in the analysis of the equilibria of a van der Waals fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ascoli, Sergio; Malvestuto, Vincenzo

2004-01-01

For a fluid system, obeying a state equation of the van der Waals type, the gas and the liquid phases can coexist in equilibrium, at a given temperature, only if the volume of the system is kept fixed. Thus, in order to study the two-phase equilibria of a fluid system, it seemed quite natural to choose the molar volume as the independent variable, and, consequently, the Helmholtz free energy as the proper thermodynamic potential for the application of the minimum principle. Specific computations are here carried out for a single van der Waals fluid, namely, pure water at 300 0 C. As a result, the present treatment indicates a simple and effective way to identify the whole range of molar volumes where the equilibrium preferred by the system is a two-phase equilibrium. This range results to be wider than the interval of strict instability of the van der Waals isotherm. Finally, it is pointed out that all the results, obtained here for the van der Waals state equation, can be extended to all the state equations of the same type

Fragmentation of neutral van der Waals clusters with visible laser light: A new variant of the Raman effect?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamatovic, A.; Howorka, F.; Scheier, P.; Maerk, T.D.

1989-01-01

We have observed strong photodissociation (using visible laser light) of neutral van der Waals clusters (Ar, N 2 , O 2 , CO 2 , SO 2 , NH 3 ) produced by supersonic expansion and detected by electron ionization/mass spectrometer. Several tests were performed, all of them supporting this surprising discovery. We suggest that Raman induced photodissociation (RIP) is responsible for this phenomenon. This first observation of Raman induced photodissociation provides a new technique for the study of neutral van der Waals clusters. (orig.)

A pair density functional theory utilizing the correlated wave function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higuchi, M; Higuchi, K

2009-01-01

We propose a practical scheme for calculating the ground-state pair density (PD) by utilizing the correlated wave function. As the correlated wave function, we adopt a linear combination of the single Slater determinants that are constructed from the solutions of the initial scheme [Higuchi M and Higuchi K 2007 Physica B 387, 117]. The single-particle equation is derived by performing the variational principle within the set of PDs that are constructed from such correlated wave functions. Since the search region of the PD is substantially extended as compared with the initial scheme, it is expected that the present scheme can cover more correlation effects. The single-particle equation is practical, and may be easily applied to actual calculations.

Efficient molecular density functional theory using generalized spherical harmonics expansions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Lu; Levesque, Maximilien; Borgis, Daniel; Belloni, Luc

2017-09-07

We show that generalized spherical harmonics are well suited for representing the space and orientation molecular density in the resolution of the molecular density functional theory. We consider the common system made of a rigid solute of arbitrary complexity immersed in a molecular solvent, both represented by molecules with interacting atomic sites and classical force fields. The molecular solvent density ρ(r,Ω) around the solute is a function of the position r≡(x,y,z) and of the three Euler angles Ω≡(θ,ϕ,ψ) describing the solvent orientation. The standard density functional, equivalent to the hypernetted-chain closure for the solute-solvent correlations in the liquid theory, is minimized with respect to ρ(r,Ω). The up-to-now very expensive angular convolution products are advantageously replaced by simple products between projections onto generalized spherical harmonics. The dramatic gain in speed of resolution enables to explore in a systematic way molecular solutes of up to nanometric sizes in arbitrary solvents and to calculate their solvation free energy and associated microscopic solvent structure in at most a few minutes. We finally illustrate the formalism by tackling the solvation of molecules of various complexities in water.

Probability-density-function characterization of multipartite entanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Facchi, P.; Florio, G.; Pascazio, S.

2006-01-01

We propose a method to characterize and quantify multipartite entanglement for pure states. The method hinges upon the study of the probability density function of bipartite entanglement and is tested on an ensemble of qubits in a variety of situations. This characterization is also compared to several measures of multipartite entanglement

Higher-order terms in the nuclear-energy-density functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, B. G.; Borucki, M.; Dobaczewski, J.

2009-01-01

One of the current projects at the Department of Physics in the University of Jyvaeskylae is to explore more general forms of the Skyrme energy-density functional (EDF). The aim is to find new phenomenological terms which are sensitive to experimental data. In this context we have extended the Skyrme functional by including terms which contain higher orders of derivatives allowing for a better description of finite range effects. This was done by employing an expansion in derivatives in a spherical-tensor formalism [1] motivated by ideas of the density-matrix expansion. The resulting functionals have different number of free parameters depending on the order in derivatives and assumed symmetries, see Fig. 1. The usual Skyrme EDF is obtained as a second order expansion while we keep terms up to sixth order.(author)

Quantal density functional theory II. Approximation methods and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahni, Viraht

2010-01-01

This book is on approximation methods and applications of Quantal Density Functional Theory (QDFT), a new local effective-potential-energy theory of electronic structure. What distinguishes the theory from traditional density functional theory is that the electron correlations due to the Pauli exclusion principle, Coulomb repulsion, and the correlation contribution to the kinetic energy -- the Correlation-Kinetic effects -- are separately and explicitly defined. As such it is possible to study each property of interest as a function of the different electron correlations. Approximations methods based on the incorporation of different electron correlations, as well as a many-body perturbation theory within the context of QDFT, are developed. The applications are to the few-electron inhomogeneous electron gas systems in atoms and molecules, as well as to the many-electron inhomogeneity at metallic surfaces. (orig.)

Pressure and surface tension of soild-liquid interface using Tarazona density functional theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M.

2000-12-01

Full Text Available   The weighted density functional theory proposed by Tarazona is applied to study the solid-liquid interface. In the last two decades the weighted density functional became a useful tool to consider the properties of inhomogeneous liquids. In this theory, the role of the size of molecules or the particles of which the matter is composed, was found to be important. In this resarch we study a hard sphere fluid beside a hard wall. For this study the liquid is an inhomogeneous system. We use the definition of the direct correlation function as a second derivative of free energy with respect to the density. We use this definition and the definition of the weighting function, then we minimize the grand potential with respect to the density to get the Euler Lagrange equation and we obtain an integral equation to find the inhomogeneous density profile. The obtained density profile as a function of the distance from the wall, for different bulk density is plotted in three dimensions. We also calculate the pressure and compare it with the Carnahan-starling results, and finally we obtained the surface tension at liquid-solid interface and compared it with the results of Monte Carlo simulation.

Restoring the consistency with the contact density theorem of a classical density functional theory of ions at a planar electrical double layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, Dirk

2014-11-01

Classical density functional theory (DFT) of fluids is a fast and efficient theory to compute the structure of the electrical double layer in the primitive model of ions where ions are modeled as charged, hard spheres in a background dielectric. While the hard-core repulsive component of this ion-ion interaction can be accurately computed using well-established DFTs, the electrostatic component is less accurate. Moreover, many electrostatic functionals fail to satisfy a basic theorem, the contact density theorem, that relates the bulk pressure, surface charge, and ion densities at their distances of closest approach for ions in equilibrium at a smooth, hard, planar wall. One popular electrostatic functional that fails to satisfy the contact density theorem is a perturbation approach developed by Kierlik and Rosinberg [Phys. Rev. A 44, 5025 (1991)PLRAAN1050-294710.1103/PhysRevA.44.5025] and Rosenfeld [J. Chem. Phys. 98, 8126 (1993)JCPSA60021-960610.1063/1.464569], where the full free-energy functional is Taylor-expanded around a bulk (homogeneous) reference fluid. Here, it is shown that this functional fails to satisfy the contact density theorem because it also fails to satisfy the known low-density limit. When the functional is corrected to satisfy this limit, a corrected bulk pressure is derived and it is shown that with this pressure both the contact density theorem and the Gibbs adsorption theorem are satisfied.

Correlation functional in screened-exchange density functional theory procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Bun; Kawashima, Yukio; Hirao, Kimihiko

2017-10-15

In the present study, we have explored several prospects for the further development of screened-exchange density functional theory (SX-DFT) procedures. Using the performance of HSE06 as our measure, we find that the use of alternative correlation functionals (as oppose to PBEc in HSE06) also yields adequate results for a diverse set of thermochemical properties. We have further examined the performance of new SX-DFT procedures (termed HSEB-type methods) that comprise the HSEx exchange and a (near-optimal) reparametrized B97c (c OS,0  = c SS,0  = 1, c OS,1  = -1.5, c OS,2  = -0.644, c SS,1  = -0.5, and c SS,2  = 1.10) correlation functionals. The different variants of HSEB all perform comparably to or slightly better than the original HSE-type procedures. These results, together with our fundamental analysis of correlation functionals, point toward various directions for advancing SX-DFT methods. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Building a universal nuclear energy density functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertsch, G F

2007-01-01

This talk describes a new project in SciDAC II in the area of low-energy nuclear physics. The motivation and goals of the SciDAC are presented as well as an outline of the theoretical and computational methodology that will be employed. An important motivation is to have more accurate and reliable predictions of nuclear properties including their binding energies and low-energy reaction rates. The theoretical basis is provided by density functional theory, which the only available theory that can be systematically applied to all nuclei. However, other methodologies based on wave function methods are needed to refine the functionals and to make applications to dynamic processes

A-centers in silicon studied with hybrid density functional theory

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hao; Chroneos, Alexander; Londos, C. A.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Sgourou, E. N.

2013-01-01

Density functional theory employing hybrid functional is used to gain fundamental insight into the interaction of vacancies with oxygen interstitials to form defects known as A-centers in silicon. We calculate the formation energy of the defect with respect to the Fermi energy for all possible charge states. It is found that the neutral and doubly negatively charged A-centers dominate. The findings are analyzed in terms of the density of states and discussed in view of previous experimental and theoretical studies.

A-centers in silicon studied with hybrid density functional theory

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hao

2013-07-29

Density functional theory employing hybrid functional is used to gain fundamental insight into the interaction of vacancies with oxygen interstitials to form defects known as A-centers in silicon. We calculate the formation energy of the defect with respect to the Fermi energy for all possible charge states. It is found that the neutral and doubly negatively charged A-centers dominate. The findings are analyzed in terms of the density of states and discussed in view of previous experimental and theoretical studies.

Density-functional errors in ionization potential with increasing system size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whittleton, Sarah R.; Sosa Vazquez, Xochitl A.; Isborn, Christine M., E-mail: cisborn@ucmerced.edu [Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, California 95343 (United States); Johnson, Erin R., E-mail: erin.johnson@dal.ca [Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, California 95343 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 (Canada)

2015-05-14

This work investigates the effects of molecular size on the accuracy of density-functional ionization potentials for a set of 28 hydrocarbons, including series of alkanes, alkenes, and oligoacenes. As the system size increases, delocalization error introduces a systematic underestimation of the ionization potential, which is rationalized by considering the fractional-charge behavior of the electronic energies. The computation of the ionization potential with many density-functional approximations is not size-extensive due to excessive delocalization of the incipient positive charge. While inclusion of exact exchange reduces the observed errors, system-specific tuning of long-range corrected functionals does not generally improve accuracy. These results emphasize that good performance of a functional for small molecules is not necessarily transferable to larger systems.

A Density Functional for Liquid 3He Based on the Aziz Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Barranco, M.; Hernández, E. S.; Mayol, R.; Navarro, J.; Pi, M.; Szybisz, L.

2006-09-01

We propose a new class of density functionals for liquid 3He based on the Aziz helium-helium interaction screened at short distances by the microscopically calculated two-body distribution function g(r). Our aim is to reduce to a minumum the unavoidable phenomenological ingredients inherent to any density functional approach. Results for the homogeneous liquid and droplets are presented and discussed.

On Farmer's line, probability density functions, and overall risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munera, H.A.; Yadigaroglu, G.

1986-01-01

Limit lines used to define quantitative probabilistic safety goals can be categorized according to whether they are based on discrete pairs of event sequences and associated probabilities, on probability density functions (pdf's), or on complementary cumulative density functions (CCDFs). In particular, the concept of the well-known Farmer's line and its subsequent reinterpretations is clarified. It is shown that Farmer's lines are pdf's and, therefore, the overall risk (defined as the expected value of the pdf) that they represent can be easily calculated. It is also shown that the area under Farmer's line is proportional to probability, while the areas under CCDFs are generally proportional to expected value

Density functional and many-body theories of Hydrogen plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrot, F.; Dharma-Wardana, M.W.C.

1983-11-01

This work is an attempt to go beyond the standard description of hot condensed matter using the well-known ''average atom model''. The first part describes a static model using ''Density functional theory'' to calculate self-consistent coupled electron and ion density profiles of the plasma not restricted to a single average atomic sphere. In a second part, the results are used as ingredients for a many-body approach to electronic properties: the one-particle Green-function self-energy is calculated, from which shifted levels, populations and level-widths are deduced. Results for the Hydrogen plasma are reported, with emphasis on the 1s bound state

Ground-state properties of third-row elements with nonlocal density functionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagno, P.; Jepsen, O.; Gunnarsson, O.

1989-01-01

The cohesive energy, the lattice parameter, and the bulk modulus of third-row elements are calculated using the Langreth-Mehl-Hu (LMH), the Perdew-Wang (PW), and the gradient expansion functionals. The PW functional is found to give somewhat better results than the LMH functional and both are found to typically remove half the errors in the local-spin-density (LSD) approximation, while the gradient expansion gives worse results than the local-density approximation. For Fe both the LMH and PW functionals correctly predict a ferromagnetic bcc ground state, while the LSD approximation and the gradient expansion predict a nonmagnetic fcc ground state

Solvent density inhomogeneities and solvation free energies in supercritical diatomic fluids: a density functional approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Husowitz, B; Talanquer, V

2007-02-07

Density functional theory is used to explore the solvation properties of a spherical solute immersed in a supercritical diatomic fluid. The solute is modeled as a hard core Yukawa particle surrounded by a diatomic Lennard-Jones fluid represented by two fused tangent spheres using an interaction site approximation. The authors' approach is particularly suitable for thoroughly exploring the effect of different interaction parameters, such as solute-solvent interaction strength and range, solvent-solvent long-range interactions, and particle size, on the local solvent structure and the solvation free energy under supercritical conditions. Their results indicate that the behavior of the local coordination number in homonuclear diatomic fluids follows trends similar to those reported in previous studies for monatomic fluids. The local density augmentation is particularly sensitive to changes in solute size and is affected to a lesser degree by variations in the solute-solvent interaction strength and range. The associated solvation free energies exhibit a nonmonotonous behavior as a function of density for systems with weak solute-solvent interactions. The authors' results suggest that solute-solvent interaction anisotropies have a major influence on the nature and extent of local solvent density inhomogeneities and on the value of the solvation free energies in supercritical solutions of heteronuclear molecules.

Density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freyss, M.

2015-01-01

This chapter gives an introduction to first-principles electronic structure calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT). Electronic structure calculations have a crucial importance in the multi-scale modelling scheme of materials: not only do they enable one to accurately determine physical and chemical properties of materials, they also provide data for the adjustment of parameters (or potentials) in higher-scale methods such as classical molecular dynamics, kinetic Monte Carlo, cluster dynamics, etc. Most of the properties of a solid depend on the behaviour of its electrons, and in order to model or predict them it is necessary to have an accurate method to compute the electronic structure. DFT is based on quantum theory and does not make use of any adjustable or empirical parameter: the only input data are the atomic number of the constituent atoms and some initial structural information. The complicated many-body problem of interacting electrons is replaced by an equivalent single electron problem, in which each electron is moving in an effective potential. DFT has been successfully applied to the determination of structural or dynamical properties (lattice structure, charge density, magnetisation, phonon spectra, etc.) of a wide variety of solids. Its efficiency was acknowledged by the attribution of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998 to one of its authors, Walter Kohn. A particular attention is given in this chapter to the ability of DFT to model the physical properties of nuclear materials such as actinide compounds. The specificities of the 5f electrons of actinides will be presented, i.e., their more or less high degree of localisation around the nuclei and correlations. The limitations of the DFT to treat the strong 5f correlations are one of the main issues for the DFT modelling of nuclear fuels. Various methods that exist to better treat strongly correlated materials will finally be presented. (author)

Extending density functional embedding theory for covalently bonded systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kuang; Carter, Emily A

2017-12-19

Quantum embedding theory aims to provide an efficient solution to obtain accurate electronic energies for systems too large for full-scale, high-level quantum calculations. It adopts a hierarchical approach that divides the total system into a small embedded region and a larger environment, using different levels of theory to describe each part. Previously, we developed a density-based quantum embedding theory called density functional embedding theory (DFET), which achieved considerable success in metals and semiconductors. In this work, we extend DFET into a density-matrix-based nonlocal form, enabling DFET to study the stronger quantum couplings between covalently bonded subsystems. We name this theory density-matrix functional embedding theory (DMFET), and we demonstrate its performance in several test examples that resemble various real applications in both chemistry and biochemistry. DMFET gives excellent results in all cases tested thus far, including predicting isomerization energies, proton transfer energies, and highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gaps for local chromophores. Here, we show that DMFET systematically improves the quality of the results compared with the widely used state-of-the-art methods, such as the simple capped cluster model or the widely used ONIOM method.

Bridge density functional approximation for non-uniform hard core repulsive Yukawa fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Shiqi

2008-01-01

In this work, a bridge density functional approximation (BDFA) (J. Chem. Phys. 112, 8079 (2000)) for a non-uniform hard-sphere fluid is extended to a non-uniform hard-core repulsive Yukawa (HCRY) fluid. It is found that the choice of a bulk bridge functional approximation is crucial for both a uniform HCRY fluid and a non-uniform HCRY fluid. A new bridge functional approximation is proposed, which can accurately predict the radial distribution function of the bulk HCRY fluid. With the new bridge functional approximation and its associated bulk second order direct correlation function as input, the BDFA can be used to well calculate the density profile of the HCRY fluid subjected to the influence of varying external fields, and the theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the corresponding simulation data. The calculated results indicate that the present BDFA captures quantitatively the phenomena such as the coexistence of solid-like high density phase and low density gas phase, and the adsorption properties of the HCRY fluid, which qualitatively differ from those of the fluids combining both hard-core repulsion and an attractive tail. (condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties)

Nanoscale measurement of Nernst effect in two-dimensional charge density wave material 1T-TaS₂

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Stephen M. [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA; Luican-Mayer, Adina [Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA; Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada; Bhattacharya, Anand [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA; Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

2017-11-27

Advances in nanoscale material characterization on two-dimensional van der Waals layered materials primarily involve their optical and electronic properties. The thermal properties of these materials are harder to access due to the difficulty of thermal measurements at the nanoscale. In this work, we create a nanoscale magnetothermal device platform to access the basic out-of-plane magnetothermal transport properties of ultrathin van der Waals materials. Specifically, the Nernst effect in the charge density wave transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS₂ is examined on nano-thin flakes in a patterned device structure. It is revealed that near the commensurate charge density wave (CCDW) to nearly commensurate charge density wave (NCCDW) phase transition, the polarity of the Nernst effect changes. Since the Nernst effect is especially sensitive to changes in the Fermi surface, this suggests that large changes are occurring in the out-of-plane electronic structure of 1T-TaS₂, which are otherwise unresolved in just in-plane electronic transport measurements. This may signal a coherent evolution of out-of-plane stacking in the CCDW! NCCDW transition.

2nd derivatives of the electronic energy in density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dam, H. van

2001-08-01

This document details the equations needed to implement the calculation of vibrational frequencies within the density functional formalism of electronic structure theory. This functionality has been incorporated into the CCP1 DFT module and the required changes to the application programmers interface are outlined. Throughout it is assumed that an implementation of Hartree-Fock vibrational frequencies is available that can be modified to incorporate the density functional formalism. Employing GAMESS-UK as an example the required changes to the Hartree-Fock code are outlined. (author)

JDFTx: Software for joint density-functional theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravishankar Sundararaman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Density-functional theory (DFT has revolutionized computational prediction of atomic-scale properties from first principles in physics, chemistry and materials science. Continuing development of new methods is necessary for accurate predictions of new classes of materials and properties, and for connecting to nano- and mesoscale properties using coarse-grained theories. JDFTx is a fully-featured open-source electronic DFT software designed specifically to facilitate rapid development of new theories, models and algorithms. Using an algebraic formulation as an abstraction layer, compact C++11 code automatically performs well on diverse hardware including GPUs (Graphics Processing Units. This code hosts the development of joint density-functional theory (JDFT that combines electronic DFT with classical DFT and continuum models of liquids for first-principles calculations of solvated and electrochemical systems. In addition, the modular nature of the code makes it easy to extend and interface with, facilitating the development of multi-scale toolkits that connect to ab initio calculations, e.g. photo-excited carrier dynamics combining electron and phonon calculations with electromagnetic simulations.

Moire superlattice effects in graphene/boron-nitride van der Waals heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallbank, John R.; Chen, Xi; Fal' ko, Vladimir I. [Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster (United Kingdom); Mucha-Kruczynski, Marcin [Department of Physics, University of Bath (United Kingdom)

2015-06-15

Van der Waals heterostructures of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride feature a moire superlattice for graphene's Dirac electrons. Here, we review the effects generated by this superlattice, including a specific miniband structure featuring gaps and secondary Dirac points, and a fractal spectrum of magnetic minibands known as Hofstadter's butterfly. (copyright 2015 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Van der Waals dispersion energy between atoms and nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boustimi, M; Loulou, M; Natto, S; Belafhal, A; Baudon, J

2017-01-01

In this work, we focus on the atom-surface interaction where the geometry of the surface is highly symmetric (i.e. sphere, cylinder and plane) and the atom is in ground state. We first present the main features of our model, based on the susceptibility tensors of the two partners in interaction, to determine a general expression of the dispersive energy of van der Waals interaction. Some results are given as applications of this model which addresses recent nanophysical problems, for example, when atoms are in the vicinity of metallic nanoshells, nanospheres or nanowires. (paper)

Many-body theory and Energy Density Functionals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldo, M. [INFN, Catania (Italy)

2016-07-15

In this paper a method is first presented to construct an Energy Density Functional on a microscopic basis. The approach is based on the Kohn-Sham method, where one introduces explicitly the Nuclear Matter Equation of State, which can be obtained by an accurate many-body calculation. In this way it connects the functional to the bare nucleon-nucleon interaction. It is shown that the resulting functional can be performing as the best Gogny force functional. In the second part of the paper it is shown how one can go beyond the mean-field level and the difficulty that can appear. The method is based on the particle-vibration coupling scheme and a formalism is presented that can handle the correct use of the vibrational degrees of freedom within a microscopic approach. (orig.)

Characterizing the Spatial Density Functions of Neural Arbors

Science.gov (United States)

Teeter, Corinne Michelle

Recently, it has been proposed that a universal function describes the way in which all arbors (axons and dendrites) spread their branches over space. Data from fish retinal ganglion cells as well as cortical and hippocampal arbors from mouse, rat, cat, monkey and human provide evidence that all arbor density functions (adf) can be described by a Gaussian function truncated at approximately two standard deviations. A Gaussian density function implies that there is a minimal set of parameters needed to describe an adf: two or three standard deviations (depending on the dimensionality of the arbor) and an amplitude. However, the parameters needed to completely describe an adf could be further constrained by a scaling law found between the product of the standard deviations and the amplitude of the function. In the following document, I examine the scaling law relationship in order to determine the minimal set of parameters needed to describe an adf. First, I find that the at, two-dimensional arbors of fish retinal ganglion cells require only two out of the three fundamental parameters to completely describe their density functions. Second, the three-dimensional, volume filling, cortical arbors require four fundamental parameters: three standard deviations and the total length of an arbor (which corresponds to the amplitude of the function). Next, I characterize the shape of arbors in the context of the fundamental parameters. I show that the parameter distributions of the fish retinal ganglion cells are largely homogenous. In general, axons are bigger and less dense than dendrites; however, they are similarly shaped. The parameter distributions of these two arbor types overlap and, therefore, can only be differentiated from one another probabilistically based on their adfs. Despite artifacts in the cortical arbor data, different types of arbors (apical dendrites, non-apical dendrites, and axons) can generally be differentiated based on their adfs. In addition, within

Multireference Density Functional Theory with Generalized Auxiliary Systems for Ground and Excited States.

Science.gov (United States)