Reply to Comment by Calandra et al on "Electronic Structure of Superconducting KC$_8$ and Nonsuperconducting LiC$_6$ Graphite Intercalation Compounds: Evidence for a Graphene-Sheet-Driven Superconducting State"

TL;DR

This paper responds to critiques by Calandra et al., defending the original claim that superconductivity in graphite intercalation compounds is primarily driven by graphene sheets, despite arguments about electronic structure dimensionality.

Contribution

The authors clarify and reaffirm that their original findings support a graphene-sheet-driven superconducting mechanism in GICs, countering claims about 3D electronic effects.

Findings

Charge transfer estimates are valid despite 3D electronic structure considerations.

Superconductivity in GICs is primarily driven by graphene sheets.

The original model remains robust against the critique.

Abstract

In their comment Calandra \textit{et al} \cite{Calandra}, assert two points: (1) the estimate of charge transfer from Li to graphene layers in LiC$_6$ in our letter \cite{Pan2011c} is incorrect because of the three dimensional (3D) character of the electronic structure in bulk LiC$_6$; (2) our main claim that the superconductivity in graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) is graphene-sheet-driven is therefore invalid.