0000000000526121

AUTHOR

Miguel A. L. Marques

Ab initio angle- and energy-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy with time-dependent density-functional theory

We present a time-dependent density-functional method able to describe the photoelectron spectrum of atoms and molecules when excited by laser pulses. This computationally feasible scheme is based on a geometrical partitioning that efficiently gives access to photoelectron spectroscopy in time-dependent density-functional calculations. By using a geometrical approach, we provide a simple description of momentum-resolved photoemission including multiphoton effects. The approach is validated by comparison with results in the literature and exact calculations. Furthermore, we present numerical photoelectron angular distributions for randomly oriented nitrogen molecules in a short near-infrared…

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Semi-local density functional for the exchange-correlation energy of electrons in two dimensions

We present a practical and accurate density functional for the exchange-correlation energy of electrons in two dimensions. The exchange part is based on a recent two-dimensional generalized-gradient approximation derived by considering the limits of small and large density gradients. The fully local correlation part is constructed following the Colle-Salvetti scheme and a Gaussian approximation for the pair density. The combination of these expressions is shown to provide an efficient density functional to calculate the total energies of two-dimensional electron systems such as semiconductor quantum dots. Excellent performance of the functional with respect to numerically exact reference da…

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Real-space grids and the Octopus code as tools for the development of new simulation approaches for electronic systems.

This Open Access Article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.

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Local correlation functional for electrons in two dimensions

We derive a local approximation for the correlation energy in two-dimensional electronic systems. In the derivation we follow the scheme originally developed by Colle and Salvetti for three dimensions, and consider a Gaussian approximation for the pair density. Then, we introduce an ad-hoc modification which better accounts for both the long-range correlation, and the kinetic-energy contribution to the correlation energy. The resulting functional is local, and depends parametrically on the number of electrons in the system. We apply this functional to the homogeneous electron gas and to a set of two-dimensional quantum dots covering a wide range of electron densities and thus various amount…

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Octopus, a computational framework for exploring light-driven phenomena and quantum dynamics in extended and finite systems

Over the last few years, extraordinary advances in experimental and theoretical tools have allowed us to monitor and control matter at short time and atomic scales with a high degree of precision. An appealing and challenging route toward engineering materials with tailored properties is to find ways to design or selectively manipulate materials, especially at the quantum level. To this end, having a state-of-the-art ab initio computer simulation tool that enables a reliable and accurate simulation of light-induced changes in the physical and chemical properties of complex systems is of utmost importance. The first principles real-space-based Octopus project was born with that idea in mind,…

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Density gradients for the exchange energy of electrons in two dimensions

We derive a generalized gradient approximation to the exchange energy to be used in density functional theory calculations of two-dimensional systems. This class of approximations has a long and successful history, but it has not yet been fully investigated for electrons in two dimensions. We follow the approach originally proposed by Becke for three-dimensional systems [Int. J. Quantum Chem. 23, 1915 (1983), J. Chem. Phys. 85, 7184 (1986)]. The resulting functional depends on two parameters that are adjusted to a test set of parabolically confined quantum dots. Our exchange functional is then tested on a variety of systems with promising results, reducing the error in the exchange energy b…

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Toward an all-round semi-local potential for the electronic exchange

We test local and semi-local density functionals for the electronic exchange for a variety of systems including atoms, molecules, and atomic chains. In particular, we focus on a recent universal extension of the Becke-Johnson exchange potential [E. R\"as\"anen, S. Pittalis, and C. R. Proetto, J. Chem. Phys. 132, 044112 (2010)]. It is shown that when this potential is used together with the Becke-Roussel approximation to the Slater potential [A. D. Becke and M. R. Roussel, Phys. Rev. A 39, 3761 (1989)], a good overall agreement is obtained with experimental and numerically exact results for several systems, and with a moderate computational cost. Thus, this approximation is a very promising …

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