Investigation of metal-insulator like transition through the ab initio density matrix renormalization group approach

We have studied the Metal-Insulator like Transition (MIT) in lithium and beryllium ring-shaped clusters through ab initio Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) method. Performing accurate calculations for different interatomic distances and using Quantum Information Theory (QIT) we investigated the changes occurring in the wavefunction between a metallic-like state and an insulating state built from free atoms. We also discuss entanglement and relevant excitations among the molecular orbitals in the Li and Be rings and show that the transition bond length can be detected using orbital entropy functions. Also, the effect of different orbital basis on the effectiveness of the DMRG procedure is analyzed comparing the convergence behavior.

Electronic structure, imaging contrast and chemical reactivity of graphene moire on metals

Realization of graphene moire superstructures on the surface of 4d and 5d transition metals offers templates with periodically modulated electron density, which is responsible for a number of fascinating effects, including the formation of quantum dots and the site selective adsorption of organic molecules or metal clusters on graphene. Here, applying the combination of scanning probe microscopy/spectroscopy and the density functional theory calculations, we gain a profound insight into the electronic and topographic contributions to the imaging contrast of the epitaxial graphene/Ir(111) system. We show directly that in STM imaging the electronic contribution is prevailing compared to the topographic one. In the force microscopy and spectroscopy experiments we observe a variation of the interaction strength between the tip and high-symmetry places within the graphene moire supercell, which determine the adsorption cites for molecules or metal clusters on graphene/Ir(111).