The phonon dispersion of graphite revisited

We review calculations and measurements of the phonon-dispersion relation of graphite. First-principles calculations using density-functional theory are generally in good agreement with the experimental data since the long-range character of the dynamical matrix is properly taken into account. Calculations with a plane-wave basis demonstrate that for the in-plane optical modes, the generalized-gradient approximation (GGA) yields frequencies lower by 2% than the local-density approximation (LDA) and is thus in better agreement with experiment. The long-range character of the dynamical matrix limits the validity of force-constant approaches that take only interaction with few neighboring atoms into account. However, by fitting the force-constants to the ab-initio dispersion relation, we show that the popular 4th-nearest-neighbor force-constant approach yields an excellent fit for the low frequency modes and a moderately good fit (with a maximum deviation of 6%) for the high-frequency modes. If, in addition, the non-diagonal force-constant for the second-nearest neighbor interaction is taken into account, all the qualitative features of the high-frequency dispersion can be reproduced and the maximum deviation reduces to 4%. We present the new parameters as a reliable basis for empirical model calculations of phonons in graphitic nanostructures, in particular carbon nanotubes.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Solid State Com

Ab initio calculation of the GG peak intensity of graphene: Combined study of the laser and Fermi energy dependence and importance of quantum interference effects

We present the results of a diagrammatic, fully ab initio calculation of the $G$ peak intensity of graphene. The flexibility and generality of our approach enables us to go beyond the previous analytical calculations in the low-energy regime. We study the laser and Fermi energy dependence of the $G$ peak intensity and analyze the contributions from resonant and non-resonant electronic transitions. In particular, we explicitly demonstrate the importance of quantum interference and non-resonant states for the $G$ peak process. Our method of analysis and computational concept is completely general and can easily be applied to study other materials as well.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Band structure of boron doped carbon nanotubes

We present {\it ab initio} and self-consistent tight-binding calculations on the band structure of single wall semiconducting carbon nanotubes with high degrees (up to 25 %) of boron substitution. Besides a lowering of the Fermi energy into the valence band, a regular, periodic distribution of the p-dopants leads to the formation of a dispersive ``acceptor''-like band in the band gap of the undoped tube. This comes from the superposition of acceptor levels at the boron atoms with the delocalized carbon $\pi$-orbitals. Irregular (random) boron-doping leads to a high concentration of hybrids of acceptor and unoccupied carbon states above the Fermi edge.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Non-adiabatic exciton-phonon coupling in Raman spectroscopy of layered materials

We present an ab initio computational approach for the calculation of resonant Raman intensities, including both excitonic and non-adiabatic effects. Our diagrammatic approach, which we apply to two prototype, semiconducting layered materials, allows a detailed analysis of the impact of phonon-mediated exciton-exciton scattering on the intensities. In the case of bulk hexagonal boron nitride, this scattering leads to strong quantum interference between different excitonic resonances, strongly redistributing oscillator strength with respect to optical absorption spectra. In the case of MoS$_2$, we observe that quantum interference effects are suppressed by the spin-orbit splitting of the excitons.Comment: In press at Sci. Adv. Main text: 23 pages, 6 figures; Supplementary Material: 6 pages, 2 figure

Vibrational and optical properties of MoS2_2: from monolayer to bulk

Molybdenum disulfide, MoS2, has recently gained considerable attention as a layered material where neighboring layers are only weakly interacting and can easily slide against each other. Therefore, mechanical exfoliation allows the fabrication of single and multi-layers and opens the possibility to generate atomically thin crystals with outstanding properties. In contrast to graphene, it has an optical gap of 1.9 eV. This makes it a prominent candidate for transistor and opto-electronic applications. Single-layer MoS$_2$ exhibits remarkably different physical properties compared to bulk MoS$_2$ due to the absence of interlayer hybridization. For instance, while the band gap of bulk and multi-layer MoS$_2$ is indirect, it becomes direct with decreasing number of layers. In this review, we analyze from a theoretical point of view the electronic, optical, and vibrational properties of single-layer, few-layer and bulk MoS$_2$. In particular, we focus on the effects of spin-orbit interaction, number of layers, and applied tensile strain on the vibrational and optical properties. We examine the results obtained by different methodologies, mainly ab initio approaches. We also discuss which approximations are suitable for MoS$_2$ and layered materials. The effect of external strain on the band gap of single-layer MoS$_2$ and the crossover from indirect to direct band gap is investigated. We analyze the excitonic effects on the absorption spectra. The main features, such as the double peak at the absorption threshold and the high-energy exciton are presented. Furthermore, we report on the phonon dispersion relations of single-layer, few-layer and bulk MoS$_2$. Based on the latter, we explain the behavior of the Raman-active $A_{1g}$ and $E^1_{2g}$ modes as a function of the number of layers

Excitonic effects in optical absorption and electron-energy loss spectra of hexagonal boron nitride

A new interpretation of the optical and energy-loss spectra of hexagonal boron nitride is provided based on first-principle calculations. We show that both spectra cannot be explained by independent-particle transitions but are strongly dominated by excitonic effects. The lowest direct and indirect gaps are much larger than previously reported. The direct gap amounts to 6.8 eV. The first absorption peak at 6.1 eV is due to an exciton with a binding energy of 0.7 eV. We show that this strongly bound Frenkel exciton is also responsible for the low frequency shoulder of the pi plasmon in the energy-loss function. Implications for nanotube studies are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Raman spectra of BN-nanotubes: Ab-initio and bond-polarizability model calculations

We present it ab-initio calculations of the non-resonant Raman spectra of zigzag and armchair BN nanotubes. In comparison, we implement a generalized bond-polarizability model where the parameters are extracted from first-principles calculations of the polarizability tensor of a BN sheet. For light-polarization along the tube-axis, the agreement between model and it ab-initio spectra is almost perfect. For perpendicular polarization, depolarization effects have to be included in the model in order to reproduce the it ab-initio Raman intensities.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev. B rapid com

Theory of resonant Raman scattering: Toward a comprehensive \textit{ab initio} description

We develop a general, fully quantum mechanical theory of Raman scattering from first principles in terms of many-body correlation functions. In order to arrive at expressions that are practically useful in the context of condensed matter physics, we adopt the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formula from high-energy physics and formulate in the modern language of many-body perturbation theory. This enables us to derive a general and practically useful expression for the Raman scattering rate in terms of quantities that can be computed \textit{ab initio}. Our work paves the way toward a comprehensive computational approach to the calculation of Raman spectra that goes beyond the current state of the art by capturing both excitonic and non-adiabatic effects.Comment: 19 page