Communication: Global minimum search of Ag-10(+) with molecular beam optical spectroscopy

摘要

The present study is focused on the optical properties of the Ag-10(+) cluster in the photon energy range (h) over bar omega = 1.9-4.4 eV. Absorption spectra are recorded by longitudinal molecular beam depletion spectroscopy and compared to optical response calculations using time-dependent density functional theory. Several cluster isomers obtained by the new pool-based parallel implementation of the Birmingham Cluster Genetic Algorithm, coupled with density functional theory, are used in excited state calculations. The experimental observations, together with additional simulations of ion mobilities for the several geometries found within this work using different models, clearly identify the ground state isomer of Ag-10(+) to be composed of two orthogonal interpenetrating pentagonal bipyramids, having overall D-2d symmetry. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.