Electron-electron correlation in graphite: A combined angle-resolved photoemission and first-principles study

The full three-dimensional dispersion of the pi bands, Fermi velocities, and effective masses are measured with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and compared to first-principles calculations. The band structure by density-functional theory underestimates the slope of the bands and the trigonal warping effect. Including electron-electron correlation on the level of the GW approximation, however, yields remarkable improvement in the vicinity of the Fermi level. This demonstrates the breakdown of the independent electron picture in semimetallic graphite and points toward a pronounced role of electron correlation for the interpretation of transport experiments and double-resonant Raman scattering for a wide range of carbon based materials.