Tight-binding bond parameters for dimers across the periodic table from density-functional theory

Abstract

We obtain parameters for nonorthogonal and orthogonal tight-binding (TB) models from two-atomic molecules for all combinations of elements of period 1 to 6 and group 3 to 18 of the periodic table. The TB bond parameters for 1711 homoatomic and heteroatomic dimers show clear chemical trends. In particular, using our parameters we compare to the rectangular $d$-band model, the reduced $sp$ TB model, as well as canonical TB models for $sp$- and $d$-valent systems, which have long been used to gain qualitative insight into the interatomic bond. The transferability of our dimer-based TB bond parameters to bulk systems is discussed exemplarily for the bulk ground-state structures of Mo and Si. Our dimer-based TB bond parameters provide a well-defined and promising starting point for developing refined TB parametrizations and for making the insight of TB available for guiding materials design across the periodic table.