arXiv subjects

Alexander Hampel

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander Hampel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Electronic correlations and dynamical screening with ab initio quantum embedding

First-principles descriptions of correlated quantum materials require a simultaneous treatment of strong local many-body effects and nonlocal dynamical screening. We present an efficient fully self-consistent implementation of $GW$+EDMFT that combines nonlocal effects at the $GW$ level with a non-perturbative treatment of local correlations within extended dynamical mean-field theory (EDMFT), while providing a controlled double-counting prescription. Crucially, self-consistency in both the Green's function and the dynamically screened interaction is essential to achieve a consistent description of screening processes across energy scales. The efficient computation of this self-consistent solution is enabled here by compressing two-particle correlation functions using interpolative separable density fitting (ISDF). Applying the scheme to the Mott insulator SrMnO$_3$ and the correlated metal LaNiO$_3$, we show that full self-consistency resolves the overscreening inherent to constrained-RPA approaches. By suppressing spurious low-energy screening channels, a Mott-insulating state in quantitative agreement with experiment is obtained for SrMnO$_3$. These results establish fully self-consistent $GW$+EDMFT as a predictive ab initio framework for strongly correlated quantum materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Constrained Random Phase Approximation: the spectral method

We present a constrained Random Phase Approximation (cRPA) method, termed spectral cRPA (s-cRPA), and compare it to established cRPA approaches for Scandium and Copper by varying the 3d shell filling. The s-cRPA method generally produces larger Hubbard U interaction values compared to conventional approaches. When applied to the realistic system CaFeO$_3$ , s-cRPA yields interaction parameters that align more closely with those required within DFT+U to reproduce the experimentally observed insulating state, addressing the metallic behaviour predicted by standard density functionals. We examine the issue of negative interaction values encountered in the projector cRPA method for filled d-shells. We show that s-cRPA provides improved numerical stability by preserving electron number conservation, a constraint that is violated in the projector cRPA method. The s-cRPA approach addresses some limitations of standard cRPA methods, particularly the tendency to underestimate U values, suggesting its potential utility for the community. Additionally, we have enhanced our implementation to include computation of multi-centre interactions for analysing spatial decay and developed an efficient low-scaling variant employing a compressed Matsubara grid to obtain full frequency-dependent interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Low-temperature transport in high-conductivity correlated metals: a density-functional plus dynamical mean-field study of cubic perovskites

While methods based on density-functional perturbation theory have dramatically improved our understanding of electron-phonon contributions to transport in materials, methods for accurately capturing electron-electron scattering relevant to low temperatures have seen significantly less development. The case of high-conductivity, moderately correlated materials characterized by low scattering rates is particularly challenging, since exquisite numerical precision of the low-energy electronic structure is required. Recent methodological advancements to density-functional theory combined with dynamical mean-field theory (DFT+DMFT), including adaptive Brillouin-zone integration and numerically precise self-energies, enable a rigorous investigation of electron-electron scattering in such materials. In particular, these tools may be leveraged to perform a robust scattering-rate analysis on both real- and imaginary-frequency axes. Applying this methodology to a subset of ABO$_3$ perovskite oxides -- SrVO$_3$, SrMoO$_3$, PbMoO$_3$, and SrRuO$_3$ -- we demonstrate its ability to qualitatively and quantitatively describe electron-electron contributions to the temperature-dependent direct-current resistivity. This combination of numerical techniques offers fundamental insight into the role of electronic correlations in transport phenomena and provides a predictive tool for identifying materials with potential for technological applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Quantum Monte Carlo assessment of embedding for for strongly correlated defects: interplay between mean-field starting point and interactions

Point defects are of interest for many applications, from quantum sensing to modifying bulk properties of materials. Because of their localized orbitals, the electronic states are often strongly correlated, which has led to a proliferation of quantum embedding techniques to treat this correlation. In these techniques, most of the one-body states are treated with a weakly correlated theory such as density functional theory, and certain one-body states are singled out as an active space to be treated using an effective interaction. We assess these techniques for iron and chromium defects in aluminum nitride using quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations on identical Hamiltonians. For these systems, we find the dominant errors in the embedding arise from the one-body crystal-field splitting in the d orbitals inherited from density functional theory (DFT), rather than double counting corrections, with the screened interactions also affected by the DFT orbitals. Strikingly, the best double counting recipe is opposite in these two cases. Because excitation energies can agree while the underlying wave functions do not, diagnosing these errors requires detailed information about the many-body wave functions, which QMC provides.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Hund flat band in a frustrated spinel oxide

Electronic flat bands associated with quenched kinetic energy and heavy electron mass have attracted great interest for promoting strong electronic correlations and emergent phenomena such as high-temperature charge fractionalization and superconductivity. Intense experimental and theoretical research has been devoted to establishing the rich non-trivial metallic and heavy fermion phases intertwined with such localized electronic states. Here, we investigate the transition metal oxide spinel LiV2O4, an enigmatic heavy fermion compound lacking localized f orbital states. We use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and dynamical mean field theory to reveal a new kind of correlation-induced flat band with suppressed inter-atomic electron hopping arising from intra-atomic Hund coupling. The appearance of heavy quasiparticles is ascribed to a proximate orbital-selective Mott state characterized by fluctuating local moments as evidenced by complementary magnetotransport measurements. The spectroscopic fingerprints of long-lived quasiparticles and their disappearance with increasing temperature further support the emergence of a high-temperature bad metal state observed in transport data. This work resolves a long-standing puzzle on the origin of heavy fermion behavior and unconventional transport in LiV2O4. Simultaneously, it opens a new path to achieving flat bands through electronic interactions in d-orbital systems with geometrical frustration, potentially enabling the realization of exotic phases of matter such as the fractionalized Fermi liquids.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Fermi-Liquid $T^2$ Resistivity: Dynamical Mean-Field Theory Meets Experiment

Direct-current resistivity is a key probe for the physical properties of materials. In metals, Fermi-liquid (FL) theory serves as the basis for understanding transport. A $T^2$ behavior of the resistivity is often taken as a signature of FL electron-electron scattering. However, the presence of impurity and phonon scattering as well as material-specific aspects such as Fermi surface geometry can complicate this interpretation. We demonstrate how density-functional theory combined with dynamical mean-field theory can be used to elucidate the FL regime. We take as examples SrVO$_{3}$ and SrMoO$_{3}$, two moderately correlated perovskite oxides, and establish a precise framework to analyze the FL behavior of the self-energy at low energy and temperature. Reviewing published low-temperature resistivity measurements, we find agreement between our calculations and experiments performed on samples with exceptionally low residual resistivity. This comparison emphasizes the need for further theoretical, synthesis, and characterization developments in these and other FL materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Explicit demonstration of the equivalence between DFT+U and the Hartree-Fock limit of DFT+DMFT

Several methods have been developed to improve the predictions of density functional theory (DFT) in the case of strongly correlated electron systems. Out of these approaches, DFT+$U$, which corresponds to a static treatment of the local interaction, and DFT combined with dynamical mean field theory (DFT+DMFT), which considers local fluctuations, have both proven incredibly valuable in tackling the description of materials with strong local electron-electron interactions. While it is in principle known that the Hartree-Fock (HF) limit of the DFT+DMFT approach should recover DFT+$U$, demonstrating this equivalence in practice is challenging, due to the very different ways in which the two approaches are generally implemented. In this work, we introduce a way to perform DFT+$U$ calculations in Quantum ESPRESSO using Wannier functions as calculated by Wannier90, which allows us to use the same Hubbard projector functions both in DFT+$U$ and in DFT+DMFT. We benchmark these DFT+$U$ calculations against DFT+DMFT calculations where the DMFT impurity problem is solved within the HF approximation. Considering a number of prototypical materials including NiO, MnO, LaMnO$_3$, and LuNiO$_3$, we establish the sameness of the two approaches. Finally, we showcase the versatility of our approach by going beyond the commonly used atomic orbital-like projectors by performing DFT+$U$ calculations for VO$_2$ using a special set of bond-centered Wannier functions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

LiV2O4: Hund-Assisted Orbital-Selective Mottness

We show that the remarkably small Fermi-liquid coherence scale and large effective mass observed in LiV$_2$O$_4$ are due to the proximity of a Hund-assisted orbital-selective Mott state. Our work is based on an ab initio dynamical mean-field approach, combining several quantum impurity solvers to capture the physics from high to very low temperature. We find that the Hund coupling plays a crucial role in rearranging the orbital populations and in generating the heavy mass and low coherence scale. The latter is found to be approximately 1-2 Kelvin, even though the most correlated orbital is found to be significantly doped ~10% away from half-filling. A flat quasiparticle band appears near the Fermi level as a result of the strong electronic correlations. Finally, we discuss our results in comparison to experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Strontium Ferrite Under Pressure: Potential Analogue to Strontium Ruthenate

Despite the significant attention it has garnered over the last thirty years, the paradigmatic material strontium ruthenate remains the focus of critical questions regarding strongly correlated materials. As an alternative platform to unravel some of its perplexing characteristics, we propose to study the isostructural and more correlated material strontium ferrite. Using density functional theory combined with dynamical mean-field theory, we attribute the experimentally observed insulating behavior at zero pressure to strong local electronic correlations generated by Mott and Hund's physics. At high pressure, our simulations reproduce the reported insulator-to-metal transition around 18 GPa. Along with distinctive features of a Hund's metal, the resulting metallic state is found to display an electronic structure analogous to that of strontium ruthenate, suggesting that it could exhibit similar low-energy properties.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Stabilizing the calculation of the self-energy in dynamical mean-field theory using constrained residual minimization

We propose a simple and efficient method to calculate the electronic self-energy in dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), addressing a numerical instability often encountered when solving the Dyson equation. Our approach formulates the Dyson equation as a constrained optimization problem with a simple quadratic objective. The constraints on the self-energy are obtained via direct measurement of the leading order terms of its asymptotic expansion within a continuous time quantum Monte Carlo framework, and the use of the compact discrete Lehmann representation of the self-energy yields an optimization problem in a modest number of unknowns. We benchmark our method for the non-interacting Bethe lattice, as well as DMFT calculations for both model systems and ab-initio applications.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

TRIQS/Nevanlinna: Implementation of the Nevanlinna Analytic Continuation method for noise-free data

We present the TRIQS/Nevanlinna analytic continuation package, an efficient implementation of the methods proposed by J. Fei et al in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 056402 (2021)] and [Phys. Rev. B 104, 165111 (2021)]. TRIQS/Nevanlinna strives to provide a high quality open source (distributed under the GNU General Public License version 3) alternative to the more widely adopted Maximum Entropy based analytic continuation programs. With the additional Hardy functions optimization procedure, it allows for an accurate resolution of wide band and sharp features in the spectral function. Those problems can be formulated in terms of imaginary time or Matsubara frequency response functions. The application is based on the TRIQS C++/Python framework, which allows for easy interoperability with other TRIQS-based applications, electronic band structure codes and visualization tools. Similar to other TRIQS packages, it comes with a convenient Python interface.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2023

Dielectric environment sensitivity of carbon centres in hexagonal boron nitride

A key advantage of utilizing van der Waals materials as defect-hosting platforms for quantum applications is the controllable proximity of the defect to the surface or the substrate for improved light extraction, enhanced coupling with photonic elements, or more sensitive metrology. However, this aspect results in a significant challenge for defect identification and characterization, as the defect's optoelectronic properties depend on the specifics of the atomic environment. Here we explore the mechanisms by which the environment can influence the properties of carbon impurity centres in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). We compare the optical and electronic properties of such defects between bulk-like and few-layer films, showing alteration of the zero-phonon line energies, modifications to their phonon sidebands, and enhancements of their inhomogeneous broadenings. To disentangle the various mechanisms responsible for these changes, including the atomic structure, electronic wavefunctions, and dielectric screening environment of the defect center, we combine ab-initio calculations based on a density-functional theory with a quantum embedding approach. By studying a variety of carbon-based defects embedded in monolayer and bulk hBN, we demonstrate that the dominant effect of the change in the environment is the screening of the density-density Coulomb interactions within and between the defect orbitals. Our comparative analysis of the experimental and theoretical findings paves the way for improved identification of defects in low-dimensional materials and the development of atomic scale sensors of dielectric environments.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Conductivity of infinite-layer NdNiO$_{2}$ as a probe of spectator bands

Using a density-functional theory plus dynamical mean-field theory methodology, we compute the many-body electronic structure and optical conductivity of NdNiO$_{2}$ under the influence of large scattering rates on the Nd($5d$) bands and including dynamical interactions on the Nd($5d$) orbitals with shifts of the Nd-Ni $d$-level energy difference. We find a robust conducting pathway in the out-of-plane direction arising from strong hybridization between the Ni-$d_{z^2}$ and Nd($5d$) orbitals. This pathway can be ``short-circuited'' if this hybridization is suppressed through large electronic scattering rates but is not reduced to zero even by very large beyond-DFT shifts of the Nd-Ni $d$-level energy splitting. The computed in-plane conductivity for NdNiO$_{2}$ predicts the material to be a ``good metal'' in contrast to experiments indicating the material is a ``bad metal'' or ``weak insulator''. Our results motivate future experiments measuring the $c$-axis resistivity as a proxy for the spectator bands and suggests the essential difference between the infinite-layer nickelates and the cuprates is dimensionality of their electronic structures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Low rank Green's function representations applied to dynamical mean-field theory

Several recent works have introduced highly compact representations of single-particle Green's functions in the imaginary time and Matsubara frequency domains, as well as efficient interpolation grids used to recover the representations. In particular, the intermediate representation with sparse sampling and the discrete Lehmann representation (DLR) make use of low-rank compression techniques to obtain optimal approximations with controllable accuracy. We consider the use of the DLR in dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) calculations, and in particular, show that the standard full Matsubara frequency grid can be replaced by the compact grid of DLR Matsubara frequency nodes. We test the performance of the method for a DMFT calculation of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ at temperature $50$K using a continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solver, and demonstrate that Matsubara frequency quantities can be represented on a grid of only $36$ nodes with no reduction in accuracy, or increase in the number of self-consistent iterations, despite the presence of significant Monte Carlo noise.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Quantum embedding methods for correlated excited states of point defects: Case studies and challenges

A quantitative description of the excited electronic states of point defects and impurities is crucial for understanding materials properties, and possible applications of defects in quantum technologies. This is a considerable challenge for computational methods, since Kohn-Sham density-functional theory (DFT) is inherently a ground state theory, while higher-level methods are often too computationally expensive for defect systems. Recently, embedding approaches have been applied that treat defect states with many-body methods, while using DFT to describe the bulk host material. We implement such an embedding method, based on Wannierization of defect orbitals and the constrained random-phase approximation approach, and perform systematic characterization of the method for three distinct systems with current technological relevance: a carbon dimer replacing a B and N pair in bulk hexagonal BN (C$_{\text{B}}$C$_{\text{N}}$), the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond (NV$^-$), and an Fe impurity on the Al site in wurtzite AlN ($\text{Fe}_{\text{Al}}$). For C$_{\text{B}}$C$_{\text{N}}$ we show that the embedding approach gives many-body states in agreement with analytical results on the Hubbard dimer model, which allows us to elucidate the effects of the DFT functional and double-counting correction. For the NV$^-$ center, our method demonstrates good quantitative agreement with experiments for the zero-phonon line of the triplet-triplet transition. Finally, we illustrate challenges associated with this method for determining the energies and orderings of the complex spin multiplets in $\text{Fe}_{\text{Al}}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Ab-initio investigation of Er3+ defects in tungsten disulfide

We use density functional theory (DFT) to explore the physical properties of an $Er_{ W}$ point defect in monolayer $WS_{ 2}$. Our calculations indicate that electrons localize at the dangling bonds associated with a tungsten vacancy ($V_{W}$) and at the $Er^{ 3+}$ ion site, even in the presence of a net negative charge in the supercell. The system features a set of intra-gap defect states, some of which are reminiscent of those present in isolated $Er^{ 3+}$ ions. In both instances, the level of hybridization is low, i.e., orbitals show either strong Er or W character. Through the calculation of the absorption spectrum as a function of wavelength, we identify a broad set of transitions, including one possibly consistent with the $Er^{ 3+}$ $4I_{ 15/2} \rightarrow 4I_{ 13/2}$ observed in other hosts. Combined with the low native concentration of spin-active nuclei as well as the two-dimensional nature of the host, these properties reveal $Er:WS_{ 2}$ as a potential platform for realizing spin qubits that can be subsequently integrated with other nanoscale optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism in NdNiO$_2$ and CaCuO$_2$: A Cluster DMFT Study

We perform a comparative $2 \times 2$ real space cluster DMFT study on minimal models for NdNiO$_2$ and CaCuO$_2$ obtained from downfolding DFT states, using a Nambu formalism that allows for both superconducting and antiferromagnetic order. We produce a phase diagram in temperature and doping. We find that for the nickelate, like the cuprate, the stoichiometric compound is antiferromagnetic. We find superconductivity in a doping range bounded, with a small coexistence region, by the onset of antiferromagnetism at low doping and with transition temperature becoming immeasurably small at high doping. Superconductivity emerges at around the same hole doping for both compounds, but requires a larger deviation from half filling for the nickelate. Both antiferromagnetic and superconducting order lead to a partial gapping of the $d_{x^2-y^2}$ Fermi surface sheet. Our similar results for the cuprate and nickelate suggest that nickelate superconductivity is cupratelike. We compare our results to the experimental phase diagram.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Dynamical Mean Field Studies of Infinite Layer Nickelates: Physics Results and Methodological Implications

This article summarizes recent work on the many-body (beyond density functional theory) electronic structure of layered rare-earth nickelates, both in the context of the materials themselves and in comparison to the high-temperature superconducting (high-$T_c$) layered copper-oxide compounds. It aims to outline the current state of our understanding of layered nickelates and to show how the analysis of these fascinating materials can shed light on fundamental questions in modern electronic structure theory. A prime focus is determining how the interacting physics defined over a wide energy range can be estimated and "downfolded" into a low energy theory that would describe the relevant degrees of freedom on the $\sim 0.5$ eV scale and that could be solved to determine superconducting and spin and charge density wave phase boundaries, temperature-dependent resistivities, and dynamical susceptibilities.

cond-mat.str-el↗