Theoretical investigation of electronic properties of highly charged fullerenes. Systems of discrete short-lived volume-localized levels

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical study of the electronic properties of highly charged fullerenes, revealing discrete short-lived volume-localized quantum levels that resemble nano-atoms and could influence charged particle behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a simple physical model demonstrating the existence of short-lived volume-localized electronic levels in charged fullerenes and onion-like structures, a novel insight into their quantum properties.

Findings

Discrete energy levels range from 1 eV to 100 eV in positively charged fullerenes.

Electrons and positively charged particles can be localized in volume within charged fullerenes.

Charged fullerenes can act as nano-atom-like systems with unique quantum states.

Abstract

We study the electronic properties of charged fullerenes and onion-like structures in the framework of a simple physical model and show the existence of a system of discrete short-lifetime quantum levels for electrons in the model well potential. In the case of positively charged fullerenes, we find that the energy of the volume-localized levels ranges from 1 eV to 100 eV. Electrons captured by these discrete levels localized in the volume generate a specific nano-atom wherein electrons are localized inside a charged hollow sphere of fullerene playing the role of a nucleus in an atom. In case of negatively charged single-layered or onion-like structure fullerenes, Coulomb field creates a spherical potential well for positively charged particles (protons, nuclei of deuterium, tritium or {\mu}+- mesons). In such a case, a system of discrete levels for positively charged particles is created wherein protons act as electrons and negatively charged sphere of fullerene plays the role of a nucleus.