Orbital-free ab initio molecular dynamics study of the static structure and dynamic properties of the free liquid surface of Sn

Abstract

We report results of an orbital-free ab initio molecular dynamics (OF-AIMD) study of the free liquid surface (FLS) of Sn at 1000 K and 600 K. A key ingredient in the OF-AIMD method is the local pseudopotential describing the ions-valence electrons interaction. We have used a force-matching method to derive a local pseudopotential suitable to account for the variation of the forces from the bulk to the FLS. We obtain very good results for structural properties, such as the reflectivity, including the characteristic shoulder it presents in x-ray experiments. Moreover we have been able to study ab initio for the first time the evolution in some dynamical properties as we move from the central region, where the system behaves like the bulk liquid, to the FLS.