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Title: Intermediate polaronic charge transport in organic crystals from a many-body first-principles approach

Journal Article · · npj Computational Materials

Abstract Charge transport in organic molecular crystals (OMCs) is conventionally categorized into two limiting regimes − band transport, characterized by weak electron-phonon (e-ph) interactions, and charge hopping due to localized polarons formed by strong e-ph interactions. However, between these two limiting cases there is a less well understood intermediate regime where polarons are present but transport does not occur via hopping. Here we show a many-body first-principles approach that can accurately predict the carrier mobility in this intermediate regime and shed light on its microscopic origin. Our approach combines a finite-temperature cumulant method to describe strong e-ph interactions with Green-Kubo transport calculations. We apply this parameter-free framework to naphthalene crystal, demonstrating electron mobility predictions within a factor of 1.5−2 of experiment between 100 and 300 K. Our analysis reveals the formation of a broad polaron satellite peak in the electron spectral function and the failure of the Boltzmann equation in the intermediate regime.

Research Organization:
California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0004993; AC02-05CH11231; DMR-1750613; FA9550-18-1-0280
OSTI ID:
1862577
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1978597
Journal Information:
npj Computational Materials, Journal Name: npj Computational Materials Vol. 8 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2057-3960
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English

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