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

Local magnetic moments in iron and nickel at ambient and Earth's core conditions

Some Bravais lattices have a particular geometry that can slow down the motion of Bloch electrons by pre-localization due to the band-structure properties. Another known source of electronic localization in solids is the Coulomb repulsion in partially filled d- or f-orbitals, which leads to the formation of local magnetic moments. The combination of these two effects is usually considered of little relevance to strongly correlated materials. Here we show that it represents, instead, the underlying physical mechanism in two of the most important ferromagnets: nickel and iron. In nickel, the van Hove singularity has an unexpected impact on the magnetism. As a result, the electron-electron scattering rate is linear in temperature, in violation of the conventional Landau theory of metals. This is true even at Earth's core pressures, at which iron is instead a good Fermi liquid. The importance of nickel in models of geomagnetism may have therefore to be reconsidered.Comment: Supplementary Information available at https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms16062#supplementary-informatio

Correlation effects on the electronic structure of TiOCl: a NMTO+DMFT study

Using the recently developed N-th order muffin-tin orbital-based downfolding technique in combination with the Dynamical Mean Field theory, we investigate the electronic properties of the much discussed Mott insulator TiOCl in the undimerized phase. Inclusion of correlation effects through this approach provides a description of the spectral function into an upper and a lower Hubbard band with broad valence states formed out of the orbitally polarized, lower Hubbard band. We find that these results are in good agreement with recent photo-emission spectra.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

On the mechanism for orbital-ordering in KCuF3

The Mott insulating perovskite KCuF3 is considered the archetype of an orbitally-ordered system. By using the LDA+dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) method, we investigate the mechanism for orbital-ordering (OO) in this material. We show that the purely electronic Kugel-Khomskii super-exchange mechanism (KK) alone leads to a remarkably large transition temperature of T_KK about 350 K. However, orbital-order is experimentally believed to persist to at least 800 K. Thus Jahn-Teller distortions are essential for stabilizing orbital-order at such high temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Spin-density fluctuations and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in 3d ferromagnetic metals

Spatial and time scales of spin density fluctuations (SDF) were analyzed in 3d ferromagnets using ab initio linear response calculations of complete wavevector and energy dependence of the dynamic spin susceptibility tensor. We demonstrate that SDF are spread continuously over the entire Brillouin zone and while majority of them reside within the 3d bandwidth, a significant amount comes from much higher energies. A validity of the adiabatic approximation in spin dynamics is discussed. The SDF spectrum is shown to have two main constituents: a minor low-energy spin wave contribution and a much larger high-energy component from more localized excitations. Using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT), the on-site spin correlator (SC) and the related effective fluctuating moment were properly evaluated and their universal dependence on the 3d band population is further discussed

Diagrammatic routes to nonlocal correlations beyond dynamical mean field theory

Strong electronic correlations pose one of the biggest challenges to solid state theory. We review recently developed methods that address this problem by starting with the local, eminently important correlations of dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). On top of this, non-local correlations on all length scales are generated through Feynman diagrams, with a local two-particle vertex instead of the bare Coulomb interaction as a building block. With these diagrammatic extensions of DMFT long-range charge-, magnetic-, and superconducting fluctuations as well as (quantum) criticality can be addressed in strongly correlated electron systems. We provide an overview of the successes and results achieved---hitherto mainly for model Hamiltonians---and outline future prospects for realistic material calculations.Comment: 60 pages, 42 figures, replaced by the version to be published in Rev. Mod. Phys. 201

Functional renormalization group study of an eight-band model for the iron arsenides

We investigate the superconducting pairing instabilities of eight-band models for the iron arsenides. Using a functional renormalization group treatment, we determine how the critical energy scale for superconductivity depends on the electronic band structure. Most importantly, if we vary the parameters from values corresponding to LaFeAsO to SmFeAsO, the pairing scale is strongly enhanced, in accordance with the experimental observation. We analyze the reasons for this trend and compare the results of the eight-band approach to those found using five-band models.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

Magnetic susceptibility, exchange interactions and spin-wave spectra in the local spin density approximation

Starting from exact expression for the dynamical spin susceptibility in the time-dependent density functional theory a controversial issue about exchange interaction parameters and spin-wave excitation spectra of itinerant electron ferromagnets is reconsidered. It is shown that the original expressions for exchange integrals based on the magnetic force theorem (J. Phys. F14 L125 (1984)) are optimal for the calculations of the magnon spectrum whereas static response function is better described by the ``renormalized'' magnetic force theorem by P. Bruno (Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 087205 (2003)). This conclusion is confirmed by the {\it ab initio} calculations for Fe and Ni.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, submitted to JPC

Non-perturbative JpdJ_{pd} model and ferromagnetism in dilute magnets

We calculate magnetic couplings in the $J_{pd}$ model for dilute magnets, in order both to identify the relevant parameters which control ferromagnetism and also to bridge the gap between first principle calculations and model approaches. The magnetic exchange interactions are calculated non-perturbatively and disorder in the configuration of impurities is treated exacly, allowing us to test the validity of effective medium theories. Results differ qualitatively from those of weak coupling. In contrast to mean field theory, increasing $J_{pd}$ may not favor high Curie temperatures: $T_C$ scales primarily with the bandwidth. High temperature ferromagnetism at small dilutions is associated with resonant structure in the p-band. Comparison to diluted magnetic semiconductors indicate that Ga(Mn)As has such a resonant structure and thus this material is already close to optimality.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Figure