Atomic clusters: Building blocks for a class of solids

Atomic clusters with suitable size and composition can be designed to mimic the chemistry of atoms in the Periodic Table. These clusters which can be viewed as ``super atoms'' could then form the building blocks for a class of solids with unique structural, electronic, optical, magnetic, and thermodynamic properties. Using density-functional calculations, we outline the design principles for these clusters and describe the role of geometry and electronic shell structure on cluster-cluster interaction.