Intriguing examples of inhomogeneous broadening

TL;DR

This paper explores how inhomogeneous broadening in specific nanoscale environments leads to unusual effects on energy levels and density of states, revealing significant deviations from homogeneous models.

Contribution

It presents three novel problems demonstrating the impact of inhomogeneous broadening on atomic and molecular energy states in nanoscale structures.

Findings

Inhomogeneous broadening alters low-energy density of states.

Energy levels are significantly affected by nanoscale confinement.

Unusual spectral consequences arise from inhomogeneous environments.

Abstract

Three problems are considered in which inhomogeneous broadening can yield unusual consequences. One problem involves the energy levels of atoms moving within nanopores of nearly cylindrical cross section. A second involves atomic or molecular motion in a quasi-one dimensional interstitial channel within a bundle of carbon nanotubes. The third problem involves motion within a groove between two nanotubes at the surface of such a bundle. In each case, the density of states at low energy is qualitatively different from that occurring in the perfectly homogeneous case.