Trajectory-dependent threshold effects of proton stopping power in LiF nanosheets

Abstract

We conducted a study on the trajectory-dependent threshold effects of proton stopping power in LiF nanosheets using time-dependent density functional theory non-adiabatically coupled to the molecular dynamics. This study covered protons with initial velocities in the range of 0.1–1.0 a.u., offering a vast amount of detailed information on the electronic structure during the stopping process with superior spatial and temporal resolution. Our results show that the impact parameters of incident protons play a crucial role in determining the threshold behavior of proton stopping power in LiF nanosheets. Most importantly, we found that close collisions do not exhibit a discernible threshold. In addition, the research results also revealed the time dependence of the number of electrons occupying the atomic orbitals of F and Li as protons pass through the nanosheets.