Abstract
It is shown formally that the Peierls expression is inadequate for studying the instabilities of a physically realizable one-dimensional chain of atoms, due to the long-range nature of the Coulomb interaction. Detailed total-energy studies of trans-polyacetylene, for both suggested crystal structures (P/n,P/a) and for the one-dimensional chain, establish that no appreciable total-energy minimum occurs for nonzero dimerization amplitude within the local-density approximation. The measured dimerization is discussed within the context of recent models of electron correlation.
- Received 15 August 1988
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.2016
©1989 American Physical Society