Electronic absorption spectra of neutral and charged silver molecular clusters

The structural, energy, and optical properties of charged and neutral molecular clusters (MCs) of silver Ag$_ n$ ($n$ = 2–5) have been simulated within the density functional theory (DFT). It has been shown that the electronic absorption spectrum of neutral MCs is shifted toward lower energies compared to the charged ones. The strengths of the oscillators of neutral MCs are mainly larger than the ones of charged MCs. A comparison of the simulation results with the previously obtained experimental ones for glasses with silver MCs has been carried out.