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Questions tagged [pseudopotentials]

Refers to the approximation of core electrons by effective potentials. Used in plane-wave and Gaussian based theories.

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What is the difference, if any, between an effective core potential (ECP) and a pseudopotential?

I've used these terms interchangeably for a while, but have noticed that in PySCF they are separate attributes. Are there any crucial differences between an effective core potential (ECP) and a ...
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Norm conserving LDA fully relativistic pseudopotential in quantum espresso

For my calculation, I need fully relativistic LDA Norm conserving pseudopotential. I have searched for this in the existing library like PseudoDojo, SSSP, SG15, PSLibrary etc., but failed. However, I ...
Bikash Patra's user avatar
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where to find the norm-conserving pseudopotential of rare earth metals?

I am trying to find the norm-conserving(NC) pseudopotential of rare earth metals, but all I could find are about Ultrasoft or PAW types. Is there any recommendation for NC type?
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What are the appropriate lattice constant , pseudopotential and atomic positions for BCC Na with 0 kbar pressure? (for Quantum ESPRESSO)

BCC Na is the most stable structure of Na, and the most stable structure gives the pressure around 0 kbar. But a paper named "Structure stability in the simple element sodium under pressure" ...
Farjana Mahajabin's user avatar
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Could you please share a step by step to generate semicore pseudopotential? (for QUANTUM ESPRESSO)

could you please share a handy way (some concise and explicit step by step procedures) to generate semicore pseudopotentials - for novice learners? This question, how to generate semicore ...
Sak's user avatar
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Effective core potential (ECP) calculations

I'm setting up a simple Hartree-Fock problem in pyscf with ECPs to test things out. However, the numbers I get do not make sense to me as the energies are very different. I have never used ECPs before ...
NPHA's user avatar
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Mixing pseudopotentials with gaussian and plane wave basis

I am somewhat of a novice in computational chemistry of materials, and have been tasked to replicate simulations from a relevant paper. The paper is a bit scant on details so I am trying to recreate ...
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Need help about how I can get/generate semicore pseudopotentials to be used in Quantum Espresso DFT?

I would like to know if I can get/generate semicore pseudopotentials (some core electrons are also considered along with valence electrons) to be used in Quantum Espresso DFT. Actually, it would be ...
Sak's user avatar
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Can energies obtained with different pseudopotentials be compared?

I calculated energies per atom of bulk configurations of transition metals in VASP in order to use them as reference energies for adsorption on surfaces, etc. I downloaded POSCAR files from the ...
Vladislav Gladkikh's user avatar
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Any software that could convert the format of pseudopotential files? [closed]

I am using SIESTA 3.2, which seems to only support the .psf pseudopotential format, is there any tools that allow me to convert the pseudopotential files into another format? Or when generating the ...
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Scalar relativistic Calculation for pseudopotential

I am new to solid state calculation. I have a question about the pseudopotential in terms of the relativistic effect. In solid-state calculations, ultrasoft pseudopotential using PBE functionals are ...
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Understanding Illustration for Pseudopotential

I am new to solid state calculation. When I was reading about the pseudopotential documents, I always ran into a diagram that shows how pseudopotential will help to smooth the all-electron ...
Yuao's user avatar
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Quantum Espresso calculation for Deuterium

I am a new user of Quantum Espresso. I have to use Deuterium instead of Hydrogen for my work in DFT studies. Hydrogen Pseudopotential file is available in QE website. Please clarify what parameters I ...
Nithyadevi's user avatar
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Citing a pseudopotential

I conduct my DFT calculations using the SIESTA DFT package. For this, I obtained the pseudopotentials from this site which says that they have obtained the data from the Abinit database. However I do ...
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Which specific perturbation do we consider applying to the potential when defining the energy derivative of the log derivative?

Norm-conserving pseudopotentials are defined such that the energy derivative of the log derivative of the real and pseudo wavefunctions agree at $r>r_c$. I understand that although valence ...
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How to understand the energy derivative of the logarithmic derivative of a wavefunction when deriving norm-conserving pseudopotentials

The 4th desirable property of a norm-conserving pseudopotential given by Hamann et al is for the 'logarithmic derivatives of the real and pseudo wave function and their first energy derivatives agree ...
user2582713's user avatar
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Quantum Espresso energy cutoff for different pseudopotential

I've been told that I should use the potentials from the Standard Solid-State Pseudopotential (SSSP) library in my simulations. I am interested in $\ce{Pt}$, $\ce{O}$, and $\ce{H}$. Oxygen is ...
Okano's user avatar
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Error in nscf calculation while considering Spin Orbit Coupling in Quantum ESPRESSO

I am trying to do the band structure calculation considering the Spin Orbit Coupling but getting the following error: ...
UJM's user avatar
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8 votes
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VASP GW PAW Pseudopotentials

What is the difference between the GW and non-GW potentials in VASP. While it is clear that the GW potentials should be used with GW calculations, the documentation also states that these potentials ...
Tristan Maxson's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
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Recommendations to treat 4f electrons (valence) of Yb3+ in magnetic systems in VASP

I need help with: I would like to know what is the most common approach to treat valence 4f electrons of lanthanides (3+ charge) in VASP that circumvents the calculation problems shown below. (or more ...
Ernek's user avatar
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What does the "pn" column mean in this pseudopotential file?

In this SSSP pseudopotential file for Quantum ESPRESSO, what does the "pn" column mean?
Jiahao Fan's user avatar
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2 answers
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What is a Padé approximant?

I have been looking at using Goedecker-Teter-Hutter (GTH) pseudo-potentials and I came across the abbreviation PADE. I was wondering what this abbreviation actually stood for and how it is related to ...
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Convert PSP8 pseudopotential files to UPF format

Is there a way to convert psp8 pseudopotential files (used for abinit) to UPF format (used for Quantum ESPRESSO)? I noticed there is the upfconv.x utility in ...
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Linearized Augmented Plane Wave Method vs. Pseudopotential Methods

While reviewing some DFT literature, I have come across a few papers utilizing the LAPW (Linearized Augmented Plane Wave) method, but I am interested in understanding why exactly one would use these ...
Tristan Maxson's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
146 views

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages when using shape consistent pseudopotentials as compared to energy consistent pseduopotentials

From the literature as well as the answer to the question What is the meaning of energy-consistent and shape-consistent in the context of pseudopotentials? I can see that the key difference between ...
DJA's user avatar
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1 answer
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Why are Norm-conserving Pseudopotentials considered so important?

So I am aware that a norm-conserving pseudopotential enforces the conditions that: Inside the cut-off radius, the norm of each pseudo-wavefunction is identical to its corresponding all-electron ...
DJA's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
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What is the meaning of energy-consistent and shape-consistent in the context of pseudopotentials?

I am trying to use pseudopotentials to model scattering from heavy molecules. However, I am confused by some of the terminologies of pseudopotentials/ECPs: Norm-conserving according to Wikipedia and ...
DJA's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
657 views

For which elements should I include spin orbit coupling in Quantum ESPRESSO?

I'm trying to study a Yb-Ge-Sb compound and would like to include spin-orbit coupling (SOC). In Quantum ESPRESSO, this is done by including the following tags in the ...
JasonDavis's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
164 views

Analytical expression for an atomic lattice "muffin-tin" potential for purposes of illustration and simple scattering calculations

Before taking the deep dive (see linked questions below) into calculating the diffraction of 20 to 200 eV electrons from crystal surfaces, I'd like to generate a simple "muffin-tin potential"...
uhoh's user avatar
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How better is PAW available in VASP when compared to that present in PS Library?

Papers with DFT calculations that use VASP work with PAW pseudopotentials which are also available in PS Library. I assume they are different since VASP is commercial. Given that, how different are ...
Ashique Lal's user avatar
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5 votes
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863 views

The projector augmented wave (PAW) method, pseudopotentials (PP), and exchange correlation functionals

Disclaimer: Assume the questioner is a novice in DFT Is PAW an improvement over the pseudopotential method? In terms of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (PBE) parameterization, what is the difference ...
Hitanshu Sachania's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
857 views

Are meta-GGA functionals SCAN (and its variants) ok to use in planewave DFT with the PBE pseudopotentials?

The meta-GGA SCAN functional has been there for a while. Despite the lack of SCAN (ultrasoft/PAW) pseudopotentials, various works used it in plane-wave pseudopotential calculations with ...
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Evaluate the orbital magnetic dipole moment within the PAW sphere

In general, the orbital magnetic dipole moment operator is defined as: $$- {e\over2} \mathbf{r \times v} \tag{1}$$ $\mathbf{v=p}/m$ is true only for simple Hamiltonian like $-1/2\ \nabla^2+V$, but not ...
Xiaoming Wang's user avatar
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2 answers
584 views

When are atomic-orbital-basis (rather than plane-wave) methods appropriate in periodic DFT?

For example, GPAW supports both plane-wave and atomic-orbital basis methods. I know that atomic-orbital basis methods can have difficulty with electrons occupying vacancies for example, but what ...
Tristan Maxson's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
4k views

What is the difference between Ultrasoft, ONCV and PAW Pseudopotentials? Which is better for a spin-orbit coupled calculation?

I am trying to do spin-orbit coupled calculations for various topological insulators. I have found papers using Quantum Espresso with ONCV pseudopotentials and papers using VASP with PAW ...
Ashique Lal's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
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Are there properties that can only be calculated with a given set-up?

If you do a bibliography search about the codes used in matter modeling, you will find a large list. I played with a few of them (both free and commercial) and one of my findings is that the ...
Camps's user avatar
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15 votes
2 answers
535 views

What are the types of pseudopotentials?

I would like to know what are the different types of pseudopotentials, the pro and cons, and what properties can/cannot be calculated with them?
Camps's user avatar
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6 votes
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How do I generate an aluminum force-field for a LAMMPS input file? [closed]

I have been assigned a project on the generation of a force-field of Al (aluminum) for a LAMMPS potential. I have no idea how to proceed and what to do next. Can anyone please let me know how should I ...
Shreyan Ghosh's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
757 views

How to convert Unified Pseudopotential Format (UPF) into Ultrasoft Pseudopotential (USPP) format?

I am working on DFT code having plane wave along xy axis and bspline in z direction. For calculating the properties of TMD materials, spin orbit coupling must be included but i did not find fully ...
Raj Kumar Paudel's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
77 views

How to generate relativistic pseudo-potential using Vanderbilt USPP that captures spin-orbit coupling?

I have used Vanderbilt USPP for generating a pseudopotential that does not include the spin-orbit term. But I want to have the spin-orbit coupling term included in the pseudopotential, to do ...
Raj Kumar Paudel's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
324 views

Can GW-BSE quasiparticle calculations only be run on norm-conserving pseudopotentials (NCPPs)? If so, why not?

I've read in some texts that GW-BSE quasiparticle calculations have only been implemented on Norm-conserving Pseudopotentials (and not Ultra-soft or PAW PPs). Is there a conceptual reason for this? I ...
livars98's user avatar
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15 votes
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VASP Dielectric constants: What potential to use?

I've simulated the dielectric constants using the LEPSILON = .TRUE. tag and the PBE GPAW potentials. A collegue mentioned that for accurate results norm conserving pseudo-potentials are the way to go. ...
CKl's user avatar
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18 votes
1 answer
1k views

Understanding the GTH Pseudopotential

I'm new to DFT. I want to make use of the GTH pseudopotential. I am trying to understand how this potential works. I read the article "Separable dual-space Gaussian pseudopotentials" by S. Goedecker, ...
Disciple's user avatar
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20 votes
2 answers
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Norm-Conserving or Ultrasoft, which pseudopotential to choose?

Ultrasoft pseudopotential (USPP), in general, requires a lower energy-cutoff to the plane waves when compared to Norm-Conserving ones (NC). On the other hand (at least with Quantum ESPRESSO) the ...
Anibal Bezerra's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
145 views

How to generate a pseudopotential for a cation/anion?

Many DFT codes use pseudopotentials to represent the electron-ion interaction (as do most plane-wave codes and in contrast to so-called "all-electron" programs). There are several resources on the ...
Camps's user avatar
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23 votes
1 answer
204 views

When do relativistic effects need to be explicitly included?

For many applications with heavy metals, pseudopotentials can be used to include some amount of relativistic effects. But for what sort of systems does it become necessary to actually use a ...
Tyberius's user avatar
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18 votes
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When should I include semi-core electrons in DFT calculations?

Many DFT codes use pseudopotentials (for the core electrons) and basis set functions (for the valence electrons) in order to solve the Schrodinger equation. This because simulates each electron ...
Camps's user avatar
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