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Title: Exploring metastable states in UO2 using hybrid functionals and dynamical mean field theory

Abstract

A detailed exploration of the f-atomic orbital occupancy space for UO2 is performed using a first principles approach based on density functional theory (DFT), employing a full hybrid functional within a systematic basis set. Specifically, the PBE0 functional is combined with an occupancy biasing scheme implemented in a wavelet-based algorithm which is adapted to large supercells. The results are compared with previous DFT + U calculations reported in the literature, while dynamical mean field theory is also performed to provide a further base for comparison. This work shows that the computational complexity of the energy landscape of a correlated f-electron oxide is much richer than has previously been demonstrated. The resulting calculations provide evidence of the existence of multiple previously unexplored metastable electronic states of UO2, including those with energies which are lower than previously reported ground states.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [5]
  1. Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
  2. Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Grenoble (France). INAC-SP2m; Univ. Grenoble Alpes (France)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States)
  4. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States). James Franck Inst.
  5. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1846919
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-21-30127
Journal ID: ISSN 0953-8984
Grant/Contract Number:  
89233218CNA000001; EP/P033253/1; EP/P020194/1
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 34; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 0953-8984
Publisher:
IOP Publishing
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Ratcliff, Laura E., Genovese, Luigi, Park, Hyowon, Littlewood, Peter B., and Lopez-Bezanilla, Alejandro. Exploring metastable states in UO2 using hybrid functionals and dynamical mean field theory. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1088/1361-648x/ac3cf1.
Ratcliff, Laura E., Genovese, Luigi, Park, Hyowon, Littlewood, Peter B., & Lopez-Bezanilla, Alejandro. Exploring metastable states in UO2 using hybrid functionals and dynamical mean field theory. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648x/ac3cf1
Ratcliff, Laura E., Genovese, Luigi, Park, Hyowon, Littlewood, Peter B., and Lopez-Bezanilla, Alejandro. Wed . "Exploring metastable states in UO2 using hybrid functionals and dynamical mean field theory". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648x/ac3cf1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1846919.
@article{osti_1846919,
title = {Exploring metastable states in UO2 using hybrid functionals and dynamical mean field theory},
author = {Ratcliff, Laura E. and Genovese, Luigi and Park, Hyowon and Littlewood, Peter B. and Lopez-Bezanilla, Alejandro},
abstractNote = {A detailed exploration of the f-atomic orbital occupancy space for UO2 is performed using a first principles approach based on density functional theory (DFT), employing a full hybrid functional within a systematic basis set. Specifically, the PBE0 functional is combined with an occupancy biasing scheme implemented in a wavelet-based algorithm which is adapted to large supercells. The results are compared with previous DFT + U calculations reported in the literature, while dynamical mean field theory is also performed to provide a further base for comparison. This work shows that the computational complexity of the energy landscape of a correlated f-electron oxide is much richer than has previously been demonstrated. The resulting calculations provide evidence of the existence of multiple previously unexplored metastable electronic states of UO2, including those with energies which are lower than previously reported ground states.},
doi = {10.1088/1361-648x/ac3cf1},
journal = {Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter},
number = 9,
volume = 34,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}

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