Structural distortions and orbital ordering in LaTiO3 and YTiO3

Theoretical investigations of the electronic, magnetic and structural properties of LaTiO3 and YTiO3 have been made. In the framework of GGA and GGA+U scheme we analyzed the effect of the local Coulomb interaction (U) value on the atomic forces acting in the experimental structure. The optimal parameters of the electron-electron on-site interactions as well as the orbital configurations and magnetic properties are determined.Comment: 6 pages 6 figures, better quality pictures are avelable via e-mail, Submitted to Europhysics Letter

Non-local Coulomb interactions and metal-insulator transition in Ti2_2O3_3: a cluster LDA+DMFT approach

We present an ab initio quantum theory of the metal-insulator transition in Ti$_2$O$_3$. The recently developed cluster LDA+DMFT scheme is applied to describe the many-body features of this compound. The conventional single site DMFT cannot reproduce a low temperature insulating phase for any reasonable values of the Coulomb interaction. We show that the non-local Coulomb interactions and the strong chemical bonding within Ti-Ti pair is the origin of the small gap insulating ground state of Ti$_2$O$_3$

Dynamical singlets and correlation-assisted Peierls transition in VO2

A theory of the metal-insulator transition in vanadium dioxide from the high-temperature rutile to the low- temperature monoclinic phase is proposed on the basis of cluster dynamical mean field theory, in conjunction with the density functional scheme. The interplay of strong electronic Coulomb interactions and structural distortions, in particular the dimerization of vanadium atoms in the low temperature phase, plays a crucial role. We find that VO2 is not a conventional Mott insulator, but that the formation of dynamical V-V singlet pairs due to strong Coulomb correlations is necessary to trigger the opening of a Peierls gap.Comment: 5 page

Magnetic fluctuations and effective magnetic moments in \gamma-iron due to electronic structure peculiarities

Applying the local density and dynamical mean field approximations to paramagnetic \gamma-iron we revisit the problem of theoretical description of magnetic properties in a wide temperature range. We show that contrary to \alpha-iron, the frequency dependence of the electronic self-energy has a quasiparticle form for both, t_{2g} and e_g states. In the temperature range T=1200-1500 K, where \gamma-iron exist in nature, this substance can be nevertheless characterized by temperature-dependent effective local moments, which yield relatively narrow peaks in the real part of the local magnetic susceptibility. At the same time, at low temperatures \gamma-iron (which is realized in precipitates) is better described in terms of itinerant picture. In particular, the nesting features of the Fermi surfaces yield maximum of the static magnetic susceptibility at the incommensurate wave vector q_{max} belonging the direction q_X-q_W (q_X=(2\pi/a)(1,0,0),q_W=(2\pi/a)(1,1/2,0), a is a lattice parameter) in agreement with the experimental data. This state is found however to compete closely with the states characterized by magnetic wave vectors along the directions q_X-q_L-q_K, where q_L=(2\pi/a)(1/2,1/2,1/2), q_K=(2\pi/a)(3/4,3/4,0). From the analysis of the uniform magnetic susceptibility we find that contrary to \alpha-iron, the Curie-Weiss law is not fulfilled in a broad temperature range, although the inverse susceptibility is nearly linear in the moderate-temperature region (1200-1500 K). The non-linearity of the inverse uniform magnetic susceptibility in a broader temperature range is due to the density of states peak located close to the Fermi level. The effective exchange integrals in the paramagnetic phase are estimated on the base of momentum dependent susceptibility.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Mott transition and suppression of orbital fluctuations in orthorhombic 3d1d^{1} perovskites

Using $t_{2g}$ Wannier-functions, a low-energy Hamiltonian is derived for orthorhombic $3d^{1}$ transition-metal oxides. Electronic correlations are treated with a new implementation of dynamical mean-field theory for non-cubic systems. Good agreement with photoemission data is obtained. The interplay of correlation effects and cation covalency (GdFeO$_{3}$-type distortions) is found to suppress orbital fluctuations in LaTiO$_{3},$ and even more in YTiO$_{3}$, and to favor the transition to the insulating state.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; revised manuscrip

Double Counting in LDA+DMFT - The Example of NiO

An intrinsic issue of the LDA+DMFT approach is the so called double counting of interaction terms. How to choose the double-counting potential in a manner that is both physically sound and consistent is unknown. We have conducted an extensive study of the charge transfer system NiO in the LDA+DMFT framework using quantum Monte Carlo and exact diagonalization as impurity solvers. By explicitly treating the double-counting correction as an adjustable parameter we systematically investigated the effects of different choices for the double counting on the spectral function. Different methods for fixing the double counting can drive the result from Mott insulating to almost metallic. We propose a reasonable scheme for the determination of double-counting corrections for insulating systems.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Targeting the Wnt pathways for therapies

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is crucial in animal development from sponges to humans. Its activity in the adulthood is less general, with exceptions having huge medical importance. Namely, improper activation of this pathway is carcinogenic in many tissues, most notably in the colon, liver and the breast. On the other hand, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling must be re-activated in cases of tissue damage, and insufficient activation results in regeneration failure and degeneration. These both medically important implications are unified by the emerging importance of this signaling pathway in the control of proliferation of various types of stem cells, crucial for tissue regeneration and, in case of cancer stem cells - cancer progression and relapse. This article aims at briefly reviewing the current state of knowledge in the field of Wnt signaling, followed by a detailed discussion of current medical developments targeting distinct branches of the Wnt pathway for anti-cancer and pro-regeneration therapies