arXiv subjects

Peter Blaha

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Blaha.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Orbital-free approximations to the kinetic-energy density in exchange-correlation MGGA functionals: tests on solids

A recent study of Mejia-Rodriguez and Trickey [Phys. Rev. A 96, 052512 (2017)] showed that the deorbitalization procedure (replacing the exact Kohn-Sham kinetic-energy density by an approximate orbital-free expression) applied to exchange-correlation functionals of the meta-generalized gradient approximation (MGGA) can lead to important changes in the results for molecular properties. For the present work, the deorbitalization of MGGA functionals is further investigated by considering various properties of solids. It is shown that depending on the MGGA, common orbital-free approximations to the kinetic-energy density can be sufficiently accurate for the lattice constant, bulk modulus, and cohesive energy. For the band gap, calculated with the modified Becke-Johnson MGGA potential, the deorbitalization has a larger impact on the results.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Assessment of the GLLB-SC potential for solid-state properties and attempts for improvement

Based on the work of Gritsenko et al. (GLLB) [Phys. Rev. A 51, 1944 (1995)], the method of Kuisma et al. [Phys. Rev. B 82, 115106 (2010)] to calculate the band gap in solids was shown to be much more accurate than the common local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The main feature of the GLLB-SC potential (SC stands for solid and correlation) is to lead to a nonzero derivative discontinuity that can be conveniently calculated and then added to the Kohn-Sham band gap for a comparison with the experimental band gap. In this work, a thorough comparison of GLLB-SC with other methods, e.g., the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) potential [F. Tran and P. Blaha, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 226401 (2009)], for electronic, magnetic, and density-related properties is presented. It is shown that for the band gap, GLLB-SC does not perform as well as mBJ for systems with a small band gap and strongly correlated systems, but is on average of similar accuracy as hybrid functionals. The results on itinerant metals indicate that GLLB-SC overestimates significantly the magnetic moment (much more than mBJ does), but leads to excellent results for the electric field gradient, for which mBJ is in general not recommended. In the aim of improving the results, variants of the GLLB-SC potential are also tested.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Simple way to apply nonlocal van der Waals functionals within all-electron methods

The method based on fast Fourier transforms proposed by G. Román-Pérez and J. M. Soler [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 096102 (2009)], which allows for a computationally fast implementation of the nonlocal van der Waals (vdW) functionals, has significantly contributed to making the vdW functionals popular in solid-state physics. However, the Román-Pérez-Soler method relies on a plane-wave expansion of the electron density; therefore it can not be applied readily to all-electron densities for which an unaffordable number of plane waves would be required for an accurate expansion. In this work, we present the results for the lattice constant and binding energy of solids that were obtained by applying a smoothing procedure to the all-electron density calculated with the linearized augmented plane-wave method. The smoothing procedure has the advantages of being very simple to implement, basis-set independent, and allowing the calculation of the potential. It is also shown that the results agree very well with those from the literature that were obtained with the projector augmented wave method.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Magnetocrystalline anisotropy of FePt: a detailed view

To get a reliable ab-initio value for the magneto-crystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy of FePt, we employ the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method and the full-potential Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) Green function method. The MCA energies calculated by both methods are in a good agreement with each other. As the calculated MCA energy significantly differs from experiment, it is clear that many-body effects beyond the local density approximation are essential. It is not really important whether relativistic effects for FePt are accounted for by solving the full Dirac equation or whether the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is treated as a correction to the scalar-relativistic Hamiltonian. From the analysis of the dependence of the MCA energy on the magnetization angle and on the SOC strength it follows that the main mechanism of MCA in FePt can be described within second order perturbation theory. However, a distinct contribution not accountable for by second order perturbation theory is present as well.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Local environment effects in the magnetic properties and electronic structure of disordered FePt

Local aspects of magnetism of disordered FePt are investigated by ab initio fully relativistic full potential calculations, employing the supercell approach and the coherent potential approximation (CPA). The focus is on trends of the spin and orbital magnetic moments with chemical composition and with bond lengths around the Fe and Pt atoms. A small but distinct difference between average magnetic moments obtained when using the supercells and when relying on the CPA is identified and linked to the neglect of the Madelung potential in the CPA.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Approximations to the exact exchange potential: KLI versus semilocal

In the search for an accurate and computationally efficient approximation to the exact exchange potential of Kohn-Sham density functional theory, we recently compared various semilocal exchange potentials to the exact one [F. Tran et al., Phys. Rev. B 91, 165121 (2015)]. It was concluded that the Becke-Johnson (BJ) potential is a very good starting point, but requires the use of empirical parameters to obtain good agreement with the exact exchange potential. In the present work, we extend the comparison by considering the Krieger-Li-Iafrate (KLI) approximation, which is a beyond-semilocal approximation. It is shown that overall the KLI and BJ-based potentials are the most reliable approximations to the exact exchange potential, however, sizeable differences, especially for the antiferromagnetic transition-metal oxides, can be obtained.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Rungs 1 to 4 of DFT Jacob's ladder: extensive test on the lattice constant, bulk modulus, and cohesive energy of solids

A large panel of old and recently proposed exchange-correlation functionals belonging to rungs 1 to 4 of Jacob's ladder of density functional theory are tested (with and without a dispersion correction term) for the calculation of the lattice constant, bulk modulus, and cohesive energy of solids. Particular attention will be paid to the functionals MGGA_MS2 [J. Sun et al., J. Chem. Phys. 138, 044113 (2013)], mBEEF [J. Wellendorff et al., J. Chem. Phys. 140, 144107 (2014)], and SCAN [J. Sun et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 036402 (2015)] that are approximations of the meta-generalized gradient type and were developed with the goal to be universally good. Another goal is also to determine for which semilocal functionals and groups of solids it is beneficial (or not necessary) to use the Hartree-Fock exchange or a dispersion correction term.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Comparison between exact and semilocal exchange potentials: An all-electron study for solids

The exact-exchange (EXX) potential, which is obtained by solving the optimized-effective potential (OEP) equation, is compared to various approximate semilocal exchange potentials for a set of selected solids (C, Si, BN, MgO, Cu$_{2}$O, and NiO). This is done in the framework of the linearized augmented plane-wave method, which allows for a very accurate all-electron solution of electronic structure problems in solids. In order to assess the ability of the semilocal potentials to approximate the EXX-OEP, we considered the EXX total energy, electronic structure, electric-field gradient, and magnetic moment. An attempt to parameterize a semilocal exchange potential is also reported.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Quantum oscillations of the superconductor LaRu$_2$P$_2$ : comparable mass enhancement $λ\approx 1$ in Ru and Fe phosphides

We have studied the angular dependent de Haas-van Alphen oscillations of LaRu$_2$P$_2$ using magnetic torque in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60T. The observed oscillation frequencies are in excellent agreement with the geometry of the calculated Fermi surface. The temperature dependence of the oscillation amplitudes reveals effective masses m*($α$)=0.71 and m*($β$)=0.99 m$_e$, which are enhanced over the calculated band mass by $λ^{cyc}$ of 0.8. We find a similar enhancement $λ^γ \approx 1$ in comparing the measured electronic specific heat ($γ= 11.5$ mJ/mol K$^2$) with the total DOS from band structure calculations. Remarkably, very similar mass enhancements have been reported in other pnictides LaFe$_2$P$_2$, LaFePO ($T_c \approx 4K$), and LaRuPO, independent of whether they are superconducting or not. This is contrary to the common perceptions that the normal state quasi-particle renormalizations reflect the strength of the superconducting paring mechanism and leads to new questions about pairing in isostructural and isoelectronic Ru- and Fe-pnictide superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic fcc cerium studied with one-electron methods

Density functional theory was used to study the nonmagnetic (NM) and ferromagnetic (FM) phases of face-centered cubic cerium. Functionals of four levels of approximations for the exchange-correlation energy were used: LDA, PBE, LDA/PBE+$U$, and YS-PBEh. The latter two contain an adjustable parameter, the onsite Coulomb repulsion parameter $U$ for LDA/PBE+$U$ and the fraction $α_x$ of Hartree-Fock exchange for YS-PBEh, which were varied in order to study their influence on the results. By supposing that, as a first approximation, the NM and FM solutions can be identified to the observed $α$ and $γ$ phases, respectively, it is concluded that while a small value of $U$ or $α_x$ leads to the correct trend for the stability ordering of the two phases, larger values are necessary for a more appropriate (but still not satisfying) description of the electronic structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

High-pressure cupric oxide: a room-temperature multiferroic

Multiferroic materials, in which ferroelectric and magnetic ordering coexist, are of fundamental interest for the development of multi-state memory devices that allow for electrical writing and non-destructive magnetic read-out operation. The great challenge is to create multiferroic materials that operate at room-temperature and have a large ferroelectric polarization P. Cupric oxide, CuO, is promising because of its large P ~ 10^{2} μC.m^{-2}, but is unfortunately only multiferroic in a temperature range of 20 K, from 210 to 230 K. Here, using a combination of density functional theory and Monte Carlo calculations, we establish that pressure-driven phase competition induces a giant stabilization of the multiferroic phase of CuO, which at 20-40 GPa becomes stable in a domain larger than 300 K, from 0 to T > 300 K. Thus, under high-pressure, CuO is predicted to be a room-temperature multiferroic with large polarization.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Hybrid functionals for solids with an optimized Hartree-Fock mixing parameter

(Screened) hybrid functionals are being used more and more for solid-state calculations. Usually the fraction alpha of Hartree-Fock exchange is kept fixed during the calculation, however there is no single (universal) value for alpha which systematically leads to satisfying accuracy. Instead, one could use a property of the system under consideration to determine alpha and in this way the functional would be more flexible and potentially more accurate. Recently, it was proposed to use the static dielectric constant epsilon for the calculation of alpha [Shimazaki and Asai, Chem. Phys. Lett. 466, 91 (2008) and Marques et al., Phys. Rev. B 83, 035119 (2011)]. We explore this idea further and propose a scheme where the connection between epsilon and alpha is optimized based on experimental band gaps. epsilon, and thus alpha, is recalculated at each iteration of the self-consistent procedure. We present results for the band gap and lattice constant of various semiconductors and insulators with this procedure. In addition, we show that this approach can also be combined with a non-self-consistent hybrid approximation to speed up the calculations considerably, while retaining an excellent accuracy in most cases.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Oxide Heterostructures for Efficient Solar Cells

We propose an unexplored class of absorbing materials for high-efficiency solar cells: heterostructures of transition-metal oxides. In particular, LaVO_3 grown on SrTiO_3 has a direct band gap ~1.1 eV in the optimal range as well as an internal potential gradient, which can greatly help to separate the photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Furthermore, oxide heterostructures afford the flexibility to combine LaVO_3 with other materials such as LaFeO_3 in order to achieve even higher efficiencies with band-gap graded solar cells. We use density-functional theory to demonstrate these features.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

CO Induced Adatom Sintering in a Model Catalyst: Pd/Fe3O4

The coarsening of catalytically-active metal clusters is often accelerated by the presence of gases through the formation of mobile intermediates, though the exact mechanism through which this happens is often subject to debate. We use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to follow the CO induced coalescence of Pd adatoms supported on the Fe3O4(001) surface at room temperature. We show that highly-mobile Pd-carbonyl species, formed via the so-called skyhook effect, are temporarily trapped at other Pd adatoms. Once these reach a critical density, clusters nucleate; subsequent coarsening occurs through cluster diffusion and coalescence. While CO increases the mobility in the Pd/Fe3O4 system, surface hydroxyls have the opposite effect. Pd atoms transported to surface OH groups are no longer susceptible to the skyhook effect and remain isolated. Following the evolution from well-dispersed metal adatoms into clusters, atom-by-atom, allows identification of the key processes that underlie gas-induced mass transport.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Strain-induced topological insulator phase transition in HgSe

Using ab initio electronic structure calculations we investigate the change of the band structure and the nu_0 topological invariant in HgSe (non-centrosymmetric system) under two different type of uniaxial strain along the [001] and [110] directions, respectively. Both compressive [001] and [110] strain leads to the opening of a (crystal field) band gap (with a maximum value of about 37 meV) in the vicinity of Gamma, and the concomitant formation of a camel-back- (inverse camel-back-) shape valence (conduction) band along the direction perpendicular to the strain with a minimum (maximum) at Gamma. We find that the Z_2 invariant nu_0=1, which demonstrates conclusively that HgSe is a strong topological insulator (TI). With further increase of the strain the band gap decreases vanishing at a critical strain value (which depends on the strain type) where HgSe undergoes a transition from a strong TI to a trivial (normal) insulator. HgSe exhibits a similar behavior under a tensile [110] uniaxial strain. On the other hand, HgSe remains a normal insulator by applying a [001] tensile uniaxial strain. Complementary electronic structure calculations of the non-polar (110) surface under compressive [110] tensile strain show two Dirac cones at the Gamma point whose spin chiral states are associated with the top and bottom slab surfaces.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Application of screened hybrid functionals to the bulk transition metals Rh, Pd, and Pt

We present the results of calculations on bulk transition metals Rh, Pd, and Pt using the screened hybrid functional YS-PBE0 [F. Tran and P. Blaha, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{83}, 235118 (2011)]. The results for the equilibrium geometry are compared with those obtained from (semi)local functionals, namely, the local density approximation and the generalized gradient approximation PBE of Perdew \textit{et al}. [J. P. Perdew, K. Burke, and M. Ernzerhof, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{77}, 3865 (1996)]. It is shown that the screened hybrid functional yields more accurate equilibrium geometry than PBE, but, overall, it is not more accurate than LDA. However, in contradiction with experiment, we find that the screened hybrid functional favors a ferromagnetic state as the ground state for all three transition metals. Therefore, the use of hybrid functionals for, e.g., the study of catalytically active systems with correlated oxides on a metal support is questionable.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Three-Dimensional Fermiology by Soft-X-Ray ARPES: Origin of Charge Density Waves in VSe2

Electronic structure of crystalline materials is their fundamental characteristic which is the basis of almost all their physical and chemical properties. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is the main experimental tool to study all electronic structure aspects with resolution in k-space. However, its application to three-dimensional (3D) materials suffers from a fundamental problem of ill-defined surface-perpendicular wavevector kz. Here, we achieve sharp definition of kz to enable precise navigation in 3D k space by pushing ARPES into the soft-X-ray photon energy range. Essential to break through the notorious problem of small photoexcitation cross-section was an advanced photon flux performance of our instrumentation. We explore the electronic structure of a transition metal dichalcogenide VSe2 which develops charge density waves (CDWs) possessing exotic 3D character. We experimentally identify nesting of its 3D Fermi surface (FS) as the precursor for these CDWs. Our study demonstrates an immense potential of soft-X-ray ARPES (SX-ARPES) to resolve various aspects of 3D electronic structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Ferromagnetic insulating state in tensile-strained LaCoO$_3$ thin films

With local density approximation + Hubbard $U$ (LDA+$U$) calculations, we show that the ferromagnetic (FM) insulating state observed in tensile-strained LaCoO$_3$ epitaxial thin films is most likely a mixture of low-spin (LS) and high-spin (HS) Co, namely, a HS/LS mixture state. Compared with other FM states, including the intermediate-spin (IS) state (\textit{metallic} within LDA+$U$), which consists of IS Co only, and the insulating IS/LS mixture state, the HS/LS state is the most favorable one. The FM order in HS/LS state is stabilized via the superexchange interactions between adjacent LS and HS Co. We also show that Co spin state can be identified by measuring the electric field gradient (EFG) at Co nucleus via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

cond-mat.str-el↗