title: Localized basis sets for unbound electrons in nanoelectronics.
abstract: It is shown how unbound electron wave functions can be expanded in a suitably chosen localized basis sets for any desired range of energies. In particular, we focus on the use of Gaussian basis sets, commonly used in first-principles codes. The possible usefulness of these basis sets in a first-principles description of field emission or scanning tunneling microscopy at large bias is illustrated by studying a simpler related phenomenon: The lifetime of an electron in a H atom subjected to a strong electric field.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain. dsh2@alu.ua.es
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Palacios