Silica polymorphs have been analyzed, that are similar to the amorphous phase of SiO2; specifically, the α- and β-quartz, and the α- and β-cristobalite have been addressed. Two different ab initio methods have been used to calculate the full-band structure and the electronic properties of the polymorphs. In particular, the Hartree-Fock (HF) and Density-Functional Theory (DFT) approaches have been selected. A comparison of the energy-band branches and DOS shapes is reported, showing the

more »

... ies of the electrical properties that characterize the polymorphs under study. Finally, some relevant properties are compared for the analyzed set of polymorphs.