Theoretical study of the α<->γ cerium phase transition : including strong correlations in DFT+DMFT

The isostructural phase transition of cerium has been and remains the aim of many studies in order to test methods developed to describe strongly correlated materials.The Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DMFT) combined with density functional theory (DFT) has been successful to describe such systems.However, the computation of the ground state properties requires a very good accuracy from both DFT and DMFT sides.We use thus a strong coupling Continuous Time Quantum Monte Carlo (CT-QMC) solver, which is fast and able to reach low temperatures, in combination with a projector augmented wave (PAW) DMFT implementation to calculate internls and free energies -- and thus the entropy -- during the phase transition of cerium.Extensive calculations using this implementation allows us to carefully reassess the ground state properties and almost all thermodynamics of the αγ phase transition in cerium at low temperatures.In particular, stochastic noise is small enough to avoid any ambiguity on the interpretation of energy versus volume curves.On those curves, a double inflexion point is clearly observable ont the internal energy curves untill a relatively low temperature.Moreover, free energy curves highlight the importance of including the entropy contribution.The DMFT picture is put in perspective with recent DFT calculations and recent experimental investigations.Furthermore, photoemission spectra are analysed while the phase transition.Finaly, we discuss the approximations used and raise curiosity about their consideration.

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Source https://theses.hal.science/tel-00991785
Author Bieder, Jordan
Maintainer CCSD
Last Updated May 5, 2026, 11:07 (UTC)
Created May 5, 2026, 11:07 (UTC)
Identifier NNT: 2013PA112234
Language fr
Rights https://about.hal.science/hal-authorisation-v1/
contributor Département de Physique Théorique et Appliquée (DPTA) ; DAM Île-de-France (DAM/DIF) ; Direction des Applications Militaires (DAM) ; Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Direction des Applications Militaires (DAM) ; Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)
creator Bieder, Jordan
date 2013-10-17T00:00:00
harvest_object_id 36db70a7-32ea-4371-a0f6-f9e579b5ce98
harvest_source_id 3374d638-d20b-4672-ba96-a23232d55657
harvest_source_title test moissonnage SELUNE
metadata_modified 2026-04-01T00:00:00
set_spec type:THESE