5 research outputs found
Correlation Induced Inhomogeneity in Circular Quantum Dots
Properties of the "electron gas" - in which conduction electrons interact by
means of Coulomb forces but ionic potentials are neglected - change
dramatically depending on the balance between kinetic energy and Coulomb
repulsion. The limits are well understood. For very weak interactions (high
density), the system behaves as a Fermi liquid, with delocalized electrons. In
contrast, in the strongly interacting limit (low density), the electrons
localize and order into a Wigner crystal phase. The physics at intermediate
densities, however, remains a subject of fundamental research. Here, we study
the intermediate-density electron gas confined to a circular disc, where the
degree of confinement can be tuned to control the density. Using accurate
quantum Monte Carlo techniques, we show that the electron-electron correlation
induced by an increase of the interaction first smoothly causes rings, and then
angular modulation, without any signature of a sharp transition in this density
range. This suggests that inhomogeneities in a confined system, which exist
even without interactions, are significantly enhanced by correlations.Comment: final version, modified introduction and clarifications, 4 page
Effect of Peierls transition in armchair carbon nanotube on dynamical behaviour of encapsulated fullerene
The changes of dynamical behaviour of a single fullerene molecule inside an
armchair carbon nanotube caused by the structural Peierls transition in the
nanotube are considered. The structures of the smallest C20 and Fe@C20
fullerenes are computed using the spin-polarized density functional theory.
Significant changes of the barriers for motion along the nanotube axis and
rotation of these fullerenes inside the (8,8) nanotube are found at the Peierls
transition. It is shown that the coefficients of translational and rotational
diffusions of these fullerenes inside the nanotube change by several orders of
magnitude. The possibility of inverse orientational melting, i.e. with a
decrease of temperature, for the systems under consideration is predicted.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl