Muffin-tin method

There are a number of band-structure methods that make varying approximations in the solution of the Kohn-Sham equations. They are described in detail by Godwal et al. (1983) and Srivastava and Weaire (1987), and we shall discuss them only briefly. For each method, one must eon-struct Bloch functions delocalized by symmetry over all the unit cells of the solid. The methods may be conveniently divided into (1) pesudopo-tential methods, (2) linear combination of atomic orbital (LCAO) methods (3) muffin-tin methods, and (4) linear band-structure methods. The pseudopotential method is described in detail by Yin and Cohen (1982) the linear muffin-tin orbital method (LMTO) is described by Skriver (1984) the most advanced of the linear methods, the full-potential linearized augmented-plane-wave (FLAPW) method, is described by Jansen... 

The detailed and sophisticated calculations of the electronic-ground states of the atoms are very worthwhile as an important, though only the first step toward predicting the chemical and physical properties of superheavy elements, because chemistry consists not only of the properties of the atoms but also of the molecules and their behavior. Ab-initio calculations of molecules were introduced for small molecules and small Z, and the state of the art is still far away from the point that allows actual calculations of the chemical properties of superheavy molecules. A first step in this direction has been taken by Averill et al. 62), who calculated the wave function of (110)F6 using a muffin-tin method. 

The LMTO method [58, 79] can be considered to be the linear version of the KKR teclmique. According to official LMTO historians, the method has now reached its third generation [79] the first starting with Andersen in 1975 [58], the second connnonly known as TB-LMTO. In the LMTO approach, the wavefimction is expanded in a basis of so-called muffin-tin orbitals. These orbitals are adapted to the potential by constmcting them from solutions of the radial Scln-ddinger equation so as to fomi a minimal basis set. Interstitial properties are represented by Hankel fiinctions, which means that, in contrast to the LAPW teclmique, the orbitals are localized in real space. The small basis set makes the method fast computationally, yet at the same time it restricts the accuracy. The localization of the basis fiinctions diminishes the quality of the description of the wavefimction in die interstitial region. 

We have used the basis set of the Linear-Muffin-Tin-Orbital (LMTO) method in the atomic sphere approximation (ASA). The LMTO-ASA is based on the work of Andersen and co-workers and the combined technique allows us to treat all phases on equal footing. To treat itinerant magnetism we have employed the Vosko-Wilk-Nusair parametrization for the exchange-correlation energy density and potential. In conjunction with this we have treated the alloying effects for random and partially ordered phases with a multisublattice generalization of the coherent potential approximation (CPA). 

Most of the present implementations of the CPA on the ab-initio level, both for bulk and surface cases, assume a lattice occupied by atoms with equal radii of Wigner-Seitz (or muffin-tin) spheres. The effect of charge transfer which can seriously influence the alloy energetics is often neglected. Several methods were proposed to account for charge transfer effects in bulk alloys, e.g., the so-called correlated CPA , or the screened-impurity model . The application of these methods to alloy surfaces seems to be rather complicated. 

Theoretical calculations were performed with the linear muffin tin orbital (LMTO) method and the local density approximation for exchange and correlation. This method was used in combination with supercell models containing up to 16 atoms to calculate the DOS. The LMTO calculations are run self consistently and the DOS obtained are combined with the matrix elements for the transitions from initial to final states as described in detail elsewhere (Botton et al., 1996a) according to the method described by Vvedensky (1992). A comparison is also made between spectra calculated for some of the B2 compounds using the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) method. 

B. Wenzien J. Kudrnovsky, V. Drchal and M. Sob, On the calculation of the surface Green s function by the tight-binding linear-muffin tin orbital method, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 1, 9893 (1989). 

The muffin-tin potential around each atom in the unit cell has been calculated in the framework of the Local-Spin-Density-Approximation using the ASW method. The ASW method uses the atomic sphere approximation (ASA), i.e. for each atom a sphere radius is chosen such that the sum of the volumes of all the overlapping spheres equals the unit cell volume. The calculation yields the expected ferromagnetic coupling between Cr and Ni. From the self-consistent spin polarized DOS, partial and total magnetic moment per formula unit can be computed. The calculated total magnetic moment is 5.2 pg in agreement with the experimental value (5.3 0.1 e calculations presented here have been performed... 

Sun, C., and Su, C., 1978, Overlapping muffin tin multiple scattering wave Xo method, Scienta Sinica 21 327. 

Weyrich, K.H. (1988) Full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital method, Phys. Rev., B37, 10269-10282. 

A different approach was taken by Hao and Cooper (1994), who used a combination of the him linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method and an ab initio molecular quantum cluster method, to investigate S02 adsorption on a Cu monolayer supported by 7—AI2O3. Emphasis here was on the geometry of adsorption sites, with the conclusion that the preferred adsorption site is the Al—Al bridging one. 

These approximations, and additional ones involving the muffin tin potential, have been described in recent reviews. (3 - ) In particular, the work reported here is entirely analogous to our earlier calculations on porphyrins,(5-10) where we discuss the method of calculation in some detail. 

The results are conveniently and clearly expressed in a thermodynamic formalism this is why they find their place in this chapter. They depend however on parameters which are drawn from band-theory, especially from the LMTO-ASA (Linear Muffin-Tin Orbitals-Atomic Sphere Approximation) method. 

In this paper we present preliminary results of an ab-initio study of quantum diffusion in the crystalline a-AlMnSi phase. The number of atoms in the unit cell (138) is sufficiently small to permit computation with the ab-initio Linearized Muffin Tin Orbitals (LMTO) method and provides us a good starting model. Within the Density Functional Theory (DFT) [15,16], this approach has still limitations due to the Local Density Approximation (LDA) for the exchange-correlation potential treatment of electron correlations and due to the approximation in the solution of the Schrodinger equation as explained in next section. However, we believe that this starting point is much better than simplified parametrized tight-binding like s-band models. 

Subsequent cellular methods, on which there is an enormous literature, will not be described here. We shall, however, need to introduce- certain ideas, particularly that of the pseudopotential. We begin by introducing the concept of the muffin-tin potential due to Ziman (1964a). This is illustrated in Fig. 1.9. The tight-binding approximation is appropriate for states with energies below the muffin-tin zero ( bound bands in Ziman s notation). If the energy is above the... 

It should be emphasized that in metals the d-states, for which tight-binding functions may be used, lie above the zero of the muffin-tin potential The reason why the tight-binding method can still be used is the following. The radial part of the Schrodinger equation is... 

---