Semi-classical Holstein Model Research Articles

Holstein polaron at fixed temperature: influence of the chain length

Based on the semiclassical Holstein model, the dynamics of a quantum particle in one-dimensional molecular chain with a trapping site is modeled. Numerical simulation is used to investigate the dynamics of a polaron in a chain with small random Langevin-like perturbations which imitate the thermostat. Parameter values are chosen such that the polaron energy at the trapping site is much greater than the energy of temperature fluctuations. Results of modeling demonstrate that temperature decay of a polaron depends on the chain length even at very low temperatures.

Charge diffusion in homogeneous molecular chains based on the analysis of generalized frequency spectra in the framework of the Holstein model

We analyzed numerically computed velocity autocorrelation functions and generalized frequency spectra of charge distribution in homogeneous DNA sequences at finite temperature. The autocorrelation function and generalized frequency spectrum (frequency-dependent diffusion coefficient) are phenomenologically introduced based on the functional of mean-square displacement of the charge in DNA. The charge transfer in DNA was modeled in the framework of the semi-classical Holstein model. In this model, DNA is represented by a chain of oscillators placed into thermostat at a given temperature that is provided by the additional Langevin term. Correspondence to the real DNA is provided by choice of the force parameters, which are calculated with quantum-chemical methods. We computed the diffusion coefficient for all homogenous DNA chains with respect to the temperature and found a special scaling of independent variables that the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient for different homogenous DNA is almost similar. Our calculations suggest that for all the sequences, only one parameter of the system is mainly responsible for the charge kinetics. The character of individual motions contributing to the charge mobility and temperature-dependent regimes of charge distribution is determined.

Charge diffusion in homogeneous molecular chains based on the analysis of generalized frequency spectra in the framework of the Holstein model

We analyzed numerically computed velocity autocorrelation functions and generalized frequency spectra of charge distribution in homogeneous DNA sequences at finite temperature. The autocorrelation function and generalized frequency spectrum (frequency-dependent diffusion coefficient) are phenomenologically introduced based on the functional of mean-square displacement of the charge in DNA. The charge transfer in DNA was modeled in the framework of the semi-classical Holstein model. In this model, DNA is represented by a chain of oscillators placed into thermostat at a given temperature that is provided by the additional Langevin term. Correspondence to the real DNA is provided by choice of the force parameters, which are calculated with quantum-chemical methods. We computed the diffusion coefficient for all homogenous DNA chains with respect to the temperature and found a special scaling of independent variables that the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient for different homogenous DNA is almost similar. Our calculations suggest that for all the sequences, only one parameter of the system is mainly responsible for the charge kinetics. The character of individual motions contributing to the charge mobility and temperature-dependent regimes of charge distribution is determined.

Charge diffusion in homogeneous molecular chains based on the analysis of generalized frequency spectra in the framework of the Holstein model

We analyzed numerically computed velocity autocorrelation functions and generalized frequency spectra of charge distribution in homogeneous DNA sequences at finite temperature. The autocorrelation function and generalized frequency spectrum (frequency-dependent diffusion coefficient) are phenomenologically introduced based on the functional of mean-square displacement of the charge in DNA. The charge transfer in DNA was modeled in the framework of the semi-classical Holstein model. In this model, DNA is represented by a chain of oscillators placed into thermostat at a given temperature that is provided by the additional Langevin term. Correspondence to the real DNA is provided by choice of the force parameters, which are calculated with quantum-chemical methods. We computed the diffusion coefficient for all homogenous DNA chains with respect to the temperature and found a special scaling of independent variables that the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient for different homogenous DNA is almost similar. Our calculations suggest that for all the sequences, only one parameter of the system is mainly responsible for the charge kinetics. The character of individual motions contributing to the charge mobility and temperature-dependent regimes of charge distribution is determined.

Numerical Simulation of Small Radius Polaron in a Chain with Random Perturbations

We consider the dynamics of polaron in a chain using computational experiment. The temperature, which is simulated by random Langevin-type perturbations, and influence of external electric field are taking into account. In a sufficiently long unperturbed chain, the displacement of the center of mass of the polaron and its velocity does not depend on its length. In the semiclassical Holstein model, which is applied for simulations of charge transfer in DNA, the region of polaron existence in the thermodynamic equilibrium state depends not only on temperature, but also on the chain length. Therefore, when modeling dynamics from polaron initial data, the time dependences of the average displacement of the charge mass center at the same temperature are different for chains of different lengths. According to the results of computational experiment, for polaron of large radius the time dependence of the “average polaron displacement”, which takes into account only the polaron peak and its position, for chains of different lengths behaves almost equally at time intervals until the polaron will destroyed. The same slope of the polaron displacement allows us to estimate the average polaron velocity. The results of calculations demonstrate that in Holstein model at zero temperature, the mobility value of the large radius polaron is small but non-zero.

Charge Transfer in Dimer with Dissipation

The study of the charge transfer processes in biomacromolecules such as DNA is essential for the development of nanobioelectronics, design and construction of DNA-based nanowires, memory devices, logical elements, etc. Mathematical and computer modeling of charge transfer in biopolymer chains is an important part of these investigations. Some properties of charge transfer can be demonstrated by modeling of two-site chain. Based on the semi-classical Holstein model we consider a system of two sites and charged particle (electron or hole) in which the oscillations of the first site are not related to the charge motion, and the parameters of the second site correspond to a small-radius polaron. The system steady states depending on the electron energy H at the second site are studied numerically. The dynamics of the charge initially localized at the first site is modeled. Various modes depending on H are demonstrated: charge tunneling, resonant transfer, and lack of transfer.

Charge diffusion in homogeneous molecular chains based on the analysis of generalized frequency spectra in the framework of the Holstein model

We analyzed numerically computed velocity autocorrelation functions and generalized frequency spectra of charge distribution in homogeneous DNA sequences at finite temperature. The autocorrelation function and generalized frequency spectrum (frequency-dependent diffusion coefficient) are phenomenologically introduced based on the functional of mean-square displacement of the charge in DNA. The charge transfer in DNA was modeled in the framework of the semi-classical Holstein model. In this model, DNA is represented by a chain of oscillators placed into thermostat at a given temperature that is provided by the additional Langevin term. Correspondence to the real DNA is provided by choice of the force parameters, which are calculated with quantum-chemical methods. We computed the diffusion coefficient for all homogenous DNA chains with respect to the temperature and found a special scaling of independent variables that the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient for different homogenous DNA is almost similar. Our calculations suggest that for all the sequences, only one parameter of the system is mainly responsible for the charge kinetics. The character of individual motions contributing to the charge mobility and temperature-dependent regimes of charge distribution is determined.

On the calculation of thermodynamic quantities in the Holstein model for homogeneous polynucleotides

The dynamics of a system for different types of polarons, i.e., in polythymine nucleotides (large-radius polaron), in polyadenine fragments (small-radius polaron), and in polyguanine DNA (intermediate case) at different thermostat temperatures are calculated using the semi-classical Holstein model. The temperature dependences of the thermodynamic equilibrium values of the total energy, the energy of an excess charge, and the electronic heat capacity have been obtained. For all polaron types, the peak of the electronic heat capacity dependence on temperature separates two modes (polaron and delocalized state). The electronic part of the energy is estimated in the high-temperature limit. In all cases, the electron heat capacity at high temperatures decreases in inverse proportion to the square of the temperature.

Directed current in the Holstein system

We propose a mechanism to rectify charge transport in the semiclassical Holstein model. It is shown that localized initial conditions associated with a polaron solution, in conjunction with static electron on-site potential not having inversion symmetry, constitute minimal prerequisites for the emergence of a directed current in the underlying periodic lattice system. In particular, we demonstrate that for unbiased spatially localized initial conditions (constituted by kicked static polaron states), violation of parity prevents the existence of pairs of counterpropagating trajectories, thus allowing for a directed current despite the time reversibility of the equations of motion. Nevertheless, propagating polaron solutions associated with sets of unbiased localized initial conditions which eventually leave the region of localized initial conditions do not exhibit time reversibility. Since the initial conditions belonging to the corresponding counterpropagating, current-compensating polaron solutions are not contained in the set, this gives rise to the emergence of a current. Occurrence of long-range coherent charge transport is demonstrated.

Electron dynamics in two-dimensions: a hunt for the ground-state polarons

The semi-classical Holstein model is used to account for experimental observations of electron dynamics in two-dimensional systems and assign transient spectral features formerly attributed to formation of small polarons. Our results show that the intraband relaxation of initial Bloch states is not directly followed by formation of the ground-state small polarons, but proceeds through transient long-lived intermediate states with energies near the bottom of the Bloch band. The calculations are in agreement with pump–probe experiments on ultrafast electron dynamics at metal–organics interfaces and suggest a novel interpretation of the dispersionless structures always observed near the bottom of the Bloch band.

Stationary and dynamical properties of polarons in the anharmonic Holstein model

We study the semiclassical Holstein model with a hard nonlinear on-site potential in one, two, and three dimensions. Using stationary solutions, we obtain the ground-state phase diagram as a function of the parameter characterizing the nonlinearity as well as the electron-phonon coupling. The basic result is that in the presence of the nonlinear on-site potential medium and large polaron formation is also possible in two and three dimensions. Linearizing the equations of motion around the stationary solution, we calculate the normal modes and study their stability. Normal mode analysis shows the existence of a low-frequency pinning mode not only in one dimension (1D) but also in 2D and 3D. This result enables us to construct numerically one- and two-dimensional moving polarons and study their mobility properties. The dramatic reduction of the polaron effective mass is the most characteristic effect of the lattice nonlinearity.

Polaron dynamics in a two-dimensional anharmonic Holstein model

A generalized two-dimensional semiclassical Holstein model with a realistic on-site potential that contains anharmonicity is studied. More precisely, the lattice subsystem of anharmonic on-site oscillators is supposed to have a restricting core. The core plays the role of an effective saturation nonlinearity for the polaron (self-trapped) solutions. We apply the ``logarithmic'' potential approximation which allows us to use effectively a variational approach, on one hand, and to study the realistic situation of the potential core and saturation nonlinearity, on the other hand. Analytical estimates suggest the existence of wide polarons, contrary to the case with harmonic on-site potential. Numerical simulations confirm these estimates and show stability of such polaron solutions. We develop a numerical technique which allows us to obtain the profile of extended moving polarons. Simulations show that these polarons can propagate for long distances on the plane retaining their shape and velocity. Collision effects of the two-dimensional polarons are also investigated.

Possibility of observation of polaron normal modes at the far-infrared spectrum of acetanilide and related organics

We use a stationary and normal mode analysis of the semiclassical Holstein model in order to connect the low-frequency linear polaron modes to low-lying far-infrared lines of the acetanilide spectrum and through parameter fitting we comment on the validity of the polaron results in this system.

Polaron solutions and normal-mode analysis in the semiclassical Holstein model

We investigate polaron properties in the semiclassical Holstein model in one, two, and three dimensions, using two methods: a simple and efficient numerical scheme and a variational approach. We obtain accurate information on the energy and the existence regimes of the polaron state. We study small oscillations of the polaron through normal-mode analysis, investigate their stability, and evaluate the density of states of the polaron eigenfrequencies for different system parameters. The normal-mode analysis shows in the one-dimensional case a pinning-breathing mode crossing in the transition region of the small to large polaron. Similar crossings do not exist in higher dimensions.