Please find below the summary of changes and a detailed response to
the recommendations of the referee.
-Most of the criticism is pasted from the previous review justified by
-the statement that we did ignore or not adequatley respond to it.
-However, we commented on every single issue and a more adequate
-answer is hindered if the referee does not specify the respective
-points of criticism. Thus, some part of the response might be
-identical to our previous one.
+Some arguments here were already put forward in our previous reply and
+are repeated for the sake of clarity. We would be glad to comment at
+length on further upcoming, more detailed questions.
Sincerely,
> that compare with taking the energies of each defect in a
> supercell.
-Again, we would like to point out that it is not our purpose to
-separate defects by a large distance in order to approximate the
-situation of isolated defects. However, we find that for increasing
-defect distances, configurations appear, which converge to the
-energetics of two isolated defects. This is indicated by the (absolute
-value of the) binding energy, which is approaching zero with
-increasing distance. From this, we conclude a decrease in interaction,
-which is already observable for defect separation distances accessible
-in our simulations.
-
-Nevertheless, the focus is on closely neighbored, interacting defects
-(for which an interaction with their own image is, therefore, supposed
-to be negligible, too). In fact, combinations of defects exhibiting
-equivalent distances were successfully modeled in a supercell
-containing 216 atoms in PRB 66, 195214 (2002). At no time, our aim was
-to investigate single isolated defect structures and their properties
-by a structure with increased separation distance of the two defects.
+We would like to remind the referee that the properties of isolated,
+non-intertacting defects were modeled in separate simulation runs. It
+is not our purpose to separate defects by a large distance in order to
+approximate the situation of isolated defects. We are rather
+interested in interacting defects. However, we did find that for
+increasing defect distances, configurations appear, which converge to
+the energetics of two isolated defects. This is indicated by the
+(absolute value of the) binding energy, which is approaching zero with
+increasing distance. From this, we conclude a decrease in
+interaction, which is already observable for defect separation
+distances accessible in our simulations. Combinations of defects with
+similar distances were already successfully modeled in a supercell
+containing 216 atoms as described in PRB 66, 195214 (2002).
An explanation of the binding energy and the relation to the
interaction of defects was added (Change 8).
appropriately consider the overestimated barrier heights for
diffusion.
-Indeed the cut-off effect increases if the system is deviated from
-equilibrium. Thus, to mimic IBS, a process far from equilibrium,
-increased temperatures are exceptionally necessary if short range
-potentials are utilized.
+Indeed the cut-off effect increases if the system is driven away from
+the equilibrium (such as by modeling IBS). Since this is to some
+extent cured by increasing the simulation temperature, the work-around
+is particularly helpful for short range potentials.
--------------- Summary of changes ----------------