One goal of modern condensed-matter science is to use constituents (mainly atoms and molecules) as the elementary bricks to build new materials. In this context, the field of clusters that concerns the aggregates of a few atoms to a few thousands of atoms appears especially fascinating, since these systems are intermediate between of small molecules and bulk solids. On a fundamental level, they offer the opportunity to understand more precisely how atomic structure can lead to physical and chemical properties of macroscopic phases. Moreover, it is possible to produce in the form of clusters some atomic arrangements that do not normally exist in nature and may consequently exhibit specific properties.
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