Onset of metallic behavior in magnesium clusters.
We have measured the photoelectron spectra of mass-selected magnesium cluster anions, Mg- n, over the size range, n=3-35. Their s-p band gaps were observed to close at n=18, signaling the onset of metallic behavior. Electronic shell structure was implicated by gap "reopenings" and mass spectral magic numbers. Complementary calculations are presented in the companion paper [P. H. Acioli and J. Jellinek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 213402 (2002)]].
Thomas
Owen C
OC
Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
Zheng
Weijun
W
Xu
Shoujun
S
Bowen
Kit H
KH
Shiloh
Moshe
M