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The electronic properties and the optical absorption of lead iodide (PbI 2 ) have been investigated experimentally by means of optical absorption and spectroscopic ellipsometry, and theoretically by a full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital method. PbI 2 has been recognized as a very promising detector material with a large technological applicability. Its band-gap energy as a function of temperature has also been measured by optical absorption. The temperature dependence has been fitted by two different relations, and a discussion of these fittings is given.

In a series of experiments in externally electrically heated diamond anvil cells we demonstrate that at pressures above approximately 240 GPa gold adopts a hexagonal-close-packed structure. Ab initio calculations predict that at pressures about 250 GPa different stacking sequences of close-packed atomic layers in gold become virtually degenerate in energy, strongly supporting the experimental observations.

The study of quantum correlations in solid state systems is a large avenue for research and their detection and manipulation are an actual challenge to overcome. In this context, we show by using first-principles calculations on the prototype material KNaCuSi4O10 that the degree of quantum correlations in this spin cluster system can be managed by external hydrostatic pressure. Our results open the doors for research in detection and manipulation of quantum correlations in magnetic systems with promising applications in quantum information science.

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