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Title: Comment on “Rethinking first-principles electron transport theories with projection operators: The problems caused by partitioning the basis set” [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 114104 (2013)]

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4873696· OSTI ID:22252920
 [1]
  1. Center for Nanostructured Graphene (CNG), Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Build. 345 East, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark)

In a recent paper Reuter and Harrison [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 114104 (2013)] question the widely used mean-field electron transport theories, which employ nonorthogonal localized basis sets. They claim these can violate an “implicit decoupling assumption,” leading to wrong results for the current, different from what would be obtained by using an orthogonal basis, and dividing surfaces defined in real-space. We argue that this assumption is not required to be fulfilled to get exact results. We show how the current/transmission calculated by the standard Greens function method is independent of whether or not the chosen basis set is nonorthogonal, and that the current for a given basis set is consistent with divisions in real space. The ambiguity known from charge population analysis for nonorthogonal bases does not carry over to calculations of charge flux.

OSTI ID:
22252920
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 140, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English