Hamiltonian transformation for accurate and efficient band structure interpolation

Abstract Electronic band structure is a cornerstone of condensed matter physics and materials science. Conventional methods like Wannier interpolation (WI), which are commonly used to interpolate band structures onto dense k-point grids, often encounter difficulties with complex systems, such as tho...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kai Wu, Yingzhou Li, Wentiao Wu, Lin Lin, Wei Hu, Jinlong Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:npj Computational Materials
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-025-01684-5
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Summary:Abstract Electronic band structure is a cornerstone of condensed matter physics and materials science. Conventional methods like Wannier interpolation (WI), which are commonly used to interpolate band structures onto dense k-point grids, often encounter difficulties with complex systems, such as those involving entangled bands or topological obstructions. We introduce the Hamiltonian transformation (HT) method, a novel framework that enhances interpolation accuracy by localizing the Hamiltonian. Using a pre-optimized transformation, HT produces a far more localized Hamiltonian than WI-SCDM (where Wannier functions are generated via the selected columns of the density matrix projection), achieving up to two orders of magnitude greater accuracy for entangled bands. Although HT utilizes a slightly larger, nonlocal numerical basis set, its construction is rapid and requires no optimization, resulting in significant computational speedups. These features make HT a more precise, efficient, and robust alternative to WI-SCDM for band structure interpolation, as verified by high-throughput calculations.
ISSN:2057-3960