Leonardo Spanu
Contact information
Chem 163 C, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616
email: lspanu at ucdavis.edu
phone: (530) 754-0391
Education
-February 2005 Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Pavia. Supervisor: A. Rigamonti. Thesis: Correlation Effects in Molecular Magnets and Frustrated Systems.
-July 2001 Degree in Physics obtained cum laude at University of Pisa. Supervisor: K.Konichi. Thesis: Topological aspects in non-Abelian gauge theories
Research
My research activity is in the field of computational condensed matter and material physics. Here is a list of my main research topics
-Quantum Monte Carlo for electronic structure calculations
-Weak bounded systems and van der Waals interactions
-High Pressure Physics: phase boundaries and melting line from first principle simulations
-Lattice model for strongly correlated electrons systems
Publications
L. Spanu, D. Donadio, D. Hohl, G. Galli
"Theoretical investigation of methane under pressure"
Jour. Chem. Phys. 130 164520 (2009). L.Spanu, D.Nissenbaum, C.Attacalite, B. Barbiellini, A.Bansil,
"The Resonant-Valence-Bond Ground State of Li nanoclusters",
Phys. Rev B 79 035416 (2009) . F.Sterpone, L.Spanu, L.Ferraro, S.Sorella, L.Guidoni,
"Dissecting the hydrogen bond: a Quantum Monte Carlo
approach", Jour. Chem. Theory Comp. 4 1428-1434 2008 L.Spanu, M.Lugas, F.Becca, S.Sorella, "Magnetism and
supercontuctivity in the t'-t-J model", Phys. Rev B 77, (2007) M.Lugas, L.Spanu, F.Becca, S.Sorella, "Finite
compressibility in the low-doping region of the
two-dimensional t-J model", Phys. Rev. B 74, 165122
(2006) L.Spanu, F.Becca, S.Sorella, "Theoretical constraints
for the magnetic-dimer transition in two-dimensional spin
models", Phys. Rev. B 73, 134429 (2006) L.Spanu, A.Parola,"Lattice effects on the spin dynamics
in antiferromagnetic molecular rings", Phys. Rev. B 72,
212402 (2005) L.Spanu, A.Parola, "Weakly frustrated two-dimensional
Heisenberg antiferromagnets: thermodynamic properties
from a non-perturbative approach", Phys. Rev. B 72,
174418 (2005) L.Spanu, A.Parola, "Magneto-elastic instability in
molecular antiferromagnetic rings", Phys. Rev. Lett. 92,
197202 (2004) L.Spanu, A. Parola, A.Lascialfari, "Spin-Peierls like
distortions in molecular antiferromagnetic
rings",J. Magn. Mag. Mat.Volumes 272-276, Supplement
1,E773-E774 (2004). K. Konichi, L.Spanu, "Non-Abelian vortex and
confinement"Int. J. Mod. Phys. A18, 249-270 (2003).