ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALLINE <font>C</font>₆₀

Abstract

The electronic structure and optical properties of crystalline C 60 and their pressure dependence have been studied by first-principles local density calculations. It is shown that fcc C 60 has a low dielectric constant and an optical spectrum rich in structures. The spectrum shows five disconnected absorption bands in the 1.4 to 7.0 eV region with sharp structures in each band that can be attributed to critical point transitions. This is a manifestation of the localized molecular structure coupled with long range crystalline order unique to the C 60 crystal. At a sufficient high pressure, the structures in the optical spectrum start to merge due to the merging of the bands. These results are in good agreement with some recent experimental measurements.