To investigate the x-ray absorption (XAS) branching ratio from the core 4d to valence 5f states, we set up a theoretical framework by using a combination of density functional theory in the local density approximation and Dynamical Mean Field Theory (LDA+DMFT), and apply it to several actinides. The results of the LDA+DMFT reduces to the band limit for itinerant systems and to the atomic limit for localized f electrons, meaning a spectrum of 5f itinerancy can be investigated. Our results provides a consistent and unified view of the XAS branching ratio for all elemental actinides, and is in good overall agreement with experiments.
The spectral properties of La$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$TiO$_{3}$, a doped Mott insulator with strong Coulomb correlations, are calculated with the ab initio computational scheme LDA+DMFT(QMC). It starts from the non-interacting electronic band structure as calculated by the local density approximation (LDA), and introduces the missing correlations by the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), using numerically exact quantum Monte-Carlo (QMC) techniques to solve the resulting self-consistent multi-band single-impurity problem. The results of the LDA+DMFT(QMC) approach for the photoemission spectra of La$_{1…
The valence-band spectrum of the ferromagnetic nickel is calculated using the LDA+DMFT method. The auxiliary impurity model emerging in the course of the calculations is discretized and solved with the exact diagonalization, or, more precisely, with the Lanczos method. Particular emphasis is given to spin dependence of the valence-band satellite that is observed around 6 eV below the Fermi level. The calculated satellite is strongly spin polarized in accord with experimental findings.
We present a computational study of resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) and x-ray absorption in a representative rare-earth nickelate LuNiO$_3$. We study the changes in the spectra across the metal-insulator/site-disproportionation transition. In particular, we address the question of site-selectivity of the two methods in the disproportionated insulating phase and the signature of metal-insulator transition in the fluorescence-like feature of the RIXS spectra. To this end we use the local density approximation + dynamical mean-field theory (LDA+DMFT) approach combined with configuratio…
The LDA+DMFT method is a very powerful tool for gaining insight into the physics of strongly correlated materials. It combines traditional ab-initio density-functional techniques with the dynamical mean-field theory. The core aspects of the method are (i) building material-specific Hubbard-like many-body models and (ii) solving them in the dynamical mean-field approximation. Step (i) requires the construction of a localized one-electron basis, typically a set of Wannier functions. It also involves a number of approximations, such as the choice of the degrees of freedom for which many-body effe…
We present a computational study of $L$-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) in correlated 3$d$ transition-metal oxides using an $ab$ $initio$ method based on local density approximation + dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). The present method, building on Anderson impurity model with an optimized continuum bath within DMFT, is an extension of the cluster model to include unbound electron-hole pair excitations as well as material-specific charge-transfer excitations with less empirical parameters. We find a good agreement with available experimental data. The relationship between co…
We study $1s$ and $2p$ hard x-ray photoemission spectra (XPS) in a series of late transition metal oxides: Fe$_2$O$_3$ (3$d^{5}$), FeTiO$_3$ (3$d^{6}$), CoO (3$d^{7}$) and NiO (3$d^{8}$). The experimental spectra are analyzed with two theoretical approaches: the MO$_6$ cluster model and the local density approximation (LDA) + dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). Owing to the absence of the core-valence multiplets and spin-orbit coupling, 1$s$ XPS is found to be a sensitive probe of chemical bonding and nonlocal charge-transfer screening, providing complementary information to 2$p$ XPS. The 1$s$…
LDA+DMFT is a novel computational technique for ab initio investigations of real materials with strongly correlated electrons, such as transition metals and their oxides. It combines the strength of conventional band structure theory in the local density approximation (LDA) with a modern many-body approach, the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). In the last few years LDA+DMFT has proved to be a powerful tool for the realistic modeling of strongly correlated electronic systems. In this paper the basic ideas and the set-up of the LDA+DMFT(X) approach, where X is the method used to solve the DMF…
Ab initio calculation of the electronic properties of materials is a major challenge for solid state theory. Whereas the experience of forty years has proven density functional theory (DFT) in a suitable, e.g. local approximation (LDA) to give a satisfactory description in case electronic correlations are weak, materials with strongly correlated, say d- or f-electrons remain a challenge. Such materials often exhibit colossal responses to small changes of external parameters such as pressure, temperature, and magnetic field, and are therefore most interesting for technical applications. Encoura…
The merger of density-functional theory in the local density approximation (LDA) and many-body dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) allows for an ab initio calculation of Ce including the inherent 4f electronic correlations. We solve the DMFT equations by the quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) technique and calculate the Ce energy, spectrum, and double occupancy as a function of volume. At low temperatures, the correlation energy exhibits an anomalous region of negative curvature which drives the system towards a thermodynamic instability, i.e., the $γ$-to-$α$ volume collapse, consistent with experiment.…
Motivated by recent core-level x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) experiments for the newly-discovered superconducting infinite-layer nickelate, we investigate the core-level spectra of the parent compounds NdNiO$_2$ and LaNiO$_2$ using the combination of local density approximation and dynamical mean-field theory (LDA+DMFT). Adjusting a charge-transfer energy to match the experimental spectra, we determine the optimal model parameters and discuss the nature of the NdNiO$_2$ ground state. We find that self-…
The puzzling absence of Pu magnetic moments in a PuAm environment is explored using the self-consistent Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DMFT) calculations in combination with the Local Density Approximation. We argue that delta-Pu -Am alloys provide an ideal test bed for investigating the screening of moments from the single impurity limit to the dense limit. Several important effects can be studied: volume expansion, shift of the bare Pu on-site f energy level, and the reduction of the hybridization cloud resulting from the collective character of the Kondo effect in the Anderson lattice. These …
In this Letter we report the first LDA+DMFT results (method combining Local Density Approximation with Dynamical Mean-Field Theory) for spectral properties of superconductor LaFePO. Calculated {\bf k}-resolved spectral functions reproduce recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data [D. H. Lu {\it et al}., Nature {\bf 455}, 81 (2008)]. Obtained effective electron mass enhancement values $m^{*}/m\approx$ 1.9 -- 2.2 are in good agreement with infrared and optical studies [M. M. Qazilbash {\it et al}., Nature Phys. {\bf 5}, 647 (2009)], de Haas--van Alphen, electrical resistivity…
For technical applications thermoelectric materials with a high figure of merit are desirable, and strongly correlated electron systems are very promising in this respect. Since effects of bandstructure_and_ electronic correlations play an important role for getting large figure of merits, the combination of local density approximation_and_ dynamical mean field theory is an ideal tool for the computational materials design of new thermoelectrics as well as to help us understand the mechanisms leading to large figures of merits in certain materials. This conference proceedings provides for a br…
The calculation of electronic properties of materials is an important task of solid state theory, albeit particularly difficult if electronic correlations are strong, for example in transition metals, their oxides and in f-electron systems. The standard approach to material calculations, the density functional theory in its local density approximation (LDA), incorporates electronic correlations only very rudimentarily and fails if the correlations are strong. Encouraged by the success of dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) in dealing with strongly correlated model Hamiltonians, physicists from …
We present a combination of local density approximation (LDA) with the dynamical cluster approximation (LDA+DCA) in the framework of the full-potential linear augmented plane-wave method, and compare our LDA+DCA results for SrVO$_3$ to LDA with the dynamical mean field theory (LDA+DMFT) calculations as well as experimental observations on SrVO$_3$. We find a qualitative agreement of the momentum resolved spectral function with angle-resolved photoemission spectra (ARPES) and former LDA+DMFT results. As a correction to LDA+DMFT, we observe more pronounced coherent peaks below the Fermi level, a…
In the spirit of recently developed LDA+U and LDA+DMFT methods we implement a combination of density functional theory in its local density approximation (LDA) with a $k$- and $ω-$dependent self-energy found from diagrammatic fluctuational exchange (FLEX) approximation. The active Hilbert space here is described by the correlated subset of electrons which allows to tremendously reduce the sizes of matrices needed to represent charge and spin susceptibilities. The method is perturbative in nature but accounts for both bubble and ladder diagrams and accumulates the physics of momentum resolved s…
The description of realistic strongly correlated systems has recently advanced through the combination of density functional theory in the local density approximation (LDA) and dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). This LDA+DMFT method is able to treat both strongly correlated insulators and metals. Several interfaces between LDA and DMFT have been used, such as (N-th order) Linear Muffin Tin Orbitals or Maximally localized Wannier Functions. Such schemes are however either complex in use or additional simplifications are often performed (i.e., the atomic sphere approximation). We present an alt…
The dynamical mean-field theory together with the non-crossing approximation is used to set up a novel scheme to study the electronic structure of strongly correlated electron systems. The non-interacting band structure is obtained from a density functional calculation within the local density approximation. With this method the doped Mott insulator $\rm La_{1-x}Sr_x Ti O_3$ is studied. Starting from first-principle calculations for a cubic and an orthorhombic system we determined the one-particle spectrum. Both one-particle spectra show a lower Hubbard band (seen as $d^1 \to d^o$ transitions …
The correlated Kondo insulator state of the plutonium monochalcogenides is investigated using the dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) and the local density approximation +U (LDA+U). The DMFT-dynamical fluctuations lead to a correlated insulator state at elevated temperature, in sharp contrast to the static LDA+U approach that fails to reproduce both the insulating behavior and anomalous lattice constant. The DMFT conversely predicts the experimentally observed anomalous increase of the gap with pressure and explains the lattice constant very well.
We propose a fast impurity solver for the general quantum impurity model based on the perturbation theory around the atomic limit, which can be used in combination with the local density approximation (LDA) and the dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). We benchmark the solver in the two band Hubbard model within DMFT against quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) and numerical renormalization group (NRG) results. We find that the solver works very well in the paramagnetic Mott insulator phase. We also apply this impurity solver to the DMFT study of the anti-ferromagnetic phase transition in the unfrustrated …
We present an accurate implementation of total energy calculations into the local density approximation plus dynamical mean-field theory (LDA+DMFT) method. The electronic structure problem is solved through the full potential linear Muffin-Tin Orbital (FP-LMTO) and Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (FP-KKR) methods with a perturbative solver for the effective impurity suitable for moderately correlated systems. We have tested the method in detail for the case of Ni and investigated the sensitivity of the results to the computational scheme and to the complete self-consistency. It is demonstrated that the…
The electronic structure of lanthanide and actinide compounds is often characterized by orbital ordering of localized $f$-electrons. Density-functional theory (DFT) studies of such systems using the currently available LDA+$U$ method are plagued by significant orbital-dependent self-interaction, leading to erroneous orbital ground states. An alternative scheme that modifies the exchange, not Hartree, energy is proposed as a remedy. We show that our LDA+$U$ approach reproduces the expected degeneracy of $f^1$ and $f^2$ states in free ions and the correct ground states in solid PrO$_2$. We expec…
Examining phase stabilities and phase equilibria in strongly correlated materials asks for a next level in the many-body extensions to the local-density approximation (LDA) beyond mainly spectroscopic assessments. Here we put the charge-self-consistent LDA+dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) methodology based on projected local orbitals for the LDA+DMFT interface and a tailored pseudopotential framework into action in order to address such thermodynamics of realistic strongly correlated systems. Namely a case study for the electronic phase diagram of the well-known prototype Mott-phenomena syst…
This paper provides a brief overview of applications of advanced X-ray spectroscopic techniques that take advantage of the resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) in the hard and tender x-ray range and have recently become available for studying the electronic structure of actinides. We focus here on the high-energy-resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and core-to-core and core-to-valence RIXS spectroscopies at the U L and M edges of uranium compounds. The spectral features are analyzed using a number of theoretical methods, such as the density functional theory in the lo…
We provide a straightforward and numerically efficient procedure to perform local density approximation + Hubbard I (LDA+HIA) calculations, including self-consistency over the charge density, within the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. This implementation is all-electron, includes spin-orbit interaction, and makes no shape approximations for the charge density. The method is applied to calculate selected heavy actinides in the paramagnetic phase. The electronic structure and spectral properties of Am and Cm metals obtained are in agreement with previous dynamica…
Motivated by the newly synthesized mixed-valent spinel LiRh$_2$O$_4$ for which a large thermopower is observed in the metallic cubic phase above 230K [Okamoto {\it et al.} (arXiv:0806.2504)], we calculate the Seebeck coefficient by the combination of local density approximation and dynamical mean field theory (LDA+DMFT). The experimental values are well reproduced not only by LDA+DMFT but also by the less involved Boltzmann equation approach. A careful analysis of the latter shows unexpectedly that the origin of the large thermopower shares a common root with a very different oxide: Na$_x$CoO$…
We review the basic ideas of the dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) and some of the insights into the electronic structure of strongly correlated electrons obtained by this method in the context of model Hamiltonians. We then discuss the perspectives for carrying out more realistic DMFT studies of strongly correlated electron systems and we compare it with existent methods, LDA and LDA+U. We stress the existence of new functionals for electronic structure calculations which allow us to treat situations where the single--particle description breaks down such as the vicinity of the Mott transiti…
By combining the local density approximation (LDA) with dynamical mean field theory (DMFT), we report a systematic analysis of the spectral properties of $δ$-plutonium with varying $5f$ occupancy. The LDA Hamiltonian is extracted from a tight-binding (TB) fit to full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) calculations. The DMFT equations are solved by the exact quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method and the Hubbard-I approximation. We have shown for the first time the strong sensitivity of the spectral properties to the $5f$ occupancy, which suggests using this occupancy as a fitting pa…
We investigate the electronic structure of a perovskite-type Pauli paramagnet SrMoO3 (t2g2) thin film using hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and compare the results to the realistic calculations that combine the density functional theory within the local-density approximation (LDA) with the dynamical-mean field theory (DMFT). Despite the clear signature of electron correlations in the electronic specific heat, the narrowing of the quasiparticle bands is not observed in the photoemission spectrum. This is explained in terms of the characteristic effect of Hund's rule coupling for partially…
The correlated electronic structure of iron, cobalt and nickel is investigated within the dynamical mean-field theory formalism, using the newly developed full-potential LMTO-based LDA+DMFT code. Detailed analysis of the calculated electron self-energy, density of states and the spectral density are presented for these metals. It has been found that all these elements show strong correlation effects for majority spin electrons, such as strong damping of quasiparticles and formation of a density of states satellite at about -7 eV below the Fermi level. The LDA+DMFT data for fcc nickel and cobal…
Calculations employing the local density approximation combined with static and dynamical mean-field theories (LDA+U and LDA+DMFT) indicate that the metal-insulator transition observed at 32 GPa in paramagnetic LaMnO3 at room temperature is not a Mott-Hubbard transition, but is caused by orbital splitting of the majority-spin eg bands. For LaMnO3 to be insulating at pressures below 32 GPa, both on-site Coulomb repulsion and Jahn-Teller distortion are needed.
Finite-temperature adiabatic-connection reduced density-matrix functional theory: a unified framework for i-DMFT and TAO-DFT
Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院物理研究所）；School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学物理科学学院）；Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology（南京理工大学应用物理系）
A versatile method for combining density functional theory (DFT) in the local density approximation (LDA) with dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) is presented. Starting from a general basis-independent formulation, we use Wannier functions as an interface between the two theories. These functions are used for the physical purpose of identifying the correlated orbitals in a specific material, and also for the more technical purpose of interfacing DMFT with different kinds of band-structure methods (with three different techniques being used in the present work). We explore and compare two disti…
