Ab initio study of a mechanically gated molecule: From weak to strong correlation

The electronic spectrum of a chemically contacted molecule in the junction of a scanning tunneling microscope can be modified by tip retraction. We analyze this effect by a combination of density-functional, many-body perturbation, and numerical renormalization-group theories taking into account both the nonlocality and the dynamics of electronic correlation. Our findings, in particular the evolution from a broad quasiparticle resonance below to a narrow Kondo resonance at the Fermi energy, correspond to the experimental observations