Band structure and chemical bond in alkali metal carbonates

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The band structure, state density, optical functions, and distribution of valence and difference density in alkali-metal carbonates are calculated within the local electron-density functional theory using the method of pseudopotential in the basis of numerical pseudoorbitals. When passing from a lithium cation to a potassium one, the character of hybridization between the crystal sublattices changes to result in an increase in the valence-band width, a decrease in the forbidden-band width, a complication of the structure of state-density spectrum, and a shift of the maxima of optical functions to the low-energy range. It is found that the electron overflow between the σ-and π-orbitals of crystallographically nonequivalent oxygen atoms can occur in different ways, hence their interaction force with the surrounding atoms is different. The role of cations in stabilization of anion chains resulting from the electron-cloud overlapping in lithium and sodium carbonates is shown.