Volume-Localized Quantum Levels in Charged Fullerenes

• Published in: Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 126; no. 4; pp. 259 - 263
• Main Authors: Arutyunyan, R. V., Osadchii, A. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atomic properties; Buckminsterfullerene; Coherent radiation; Electron states; Electrons; Energy industry; Fullerenes; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Mathematical analysis; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear power plants; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Radiation
• ISSN: 1063-4258; 1573-8205
• DOI: 10.1007/s10512-019-00547-9

The existence of a system of short-lived, discrete, volume-localized, electronic, quantum levels in positively charged fullerenes is shown theoretically and numerically for the example of the fullerenes C 60 . The results of three-dimensional calculations performed using the QuantumEspresso package are presented. The structures of the quantum levels in charged fullerenes were calculated numerically in a wide range of transitions from 4 eV for the fullerene C 60 + 1 to 40 eV for the fullerene C 60 + 1 . The results confirm previous theoretical work on the possible existence of single-particle excited electronic states localized in the volume of positively charged fullerene C 60 . Thus, the electrons captured in these discrete levels of fullerene form a kind of short-lived superheavy pseudoatom in which the electrons are localized inside a positively charged spherical nucleus with atomic mass 240 a.u. for C 20 and 720 a.u. for C 60 . In conclusion, the possibility of generating coherent radiation on these transitions is discussed.