Quantum embedding methods for correlated excited states of point defects: Case studies and challenges

TL;DR

This paper develops and tests a quantum embedding approach combining Wannierization and many-body methods to accurately describe excited states of point defects, addressing computational challenges in materials quantum properties.

Contribution

It introduces a Wannier-based embedding method for excited states of point defects, validated on systems like BN, NV centers, and Fe impurities, highlighting its capabilities and limitations.

Findings

Accurate many-body states for C_B C_N defect agree with analytical models.

Good experimental agreement for NV$^-$ zero-phonon line.

Challenges remain in modeling complex spin multiplets in Fe impurities.

Abstract

A quantitative description of the excited electronic states of point defects and impurities is crucial for understanding materials properties, and possible applications of defects in quantum technologies. This is a considerable challenge for computational methods, since Kohn-Sham density-functional theory (DFT) is inherently a ground state theory, while higher-level methods are often too computationally expensive for defect systems. Recently, embedding approaches have been applied that treat defect states with many-body methods, while using DFT to describe the bulk host material. We implement such an embedding method, based on Wannierization of defect orbitals and the constrained random-phase approximation approach, and perform systematic characterization of the method for three distinct systems with current technological relevance: a carbon dimer replacing a B and N pair in bulk hexagonal BN (C$_{\text{B}}$C$_{\text{N}}$), the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond (NV$^-$), and an Fe impurity on the Al site in wurtzite AlN ($\text{Fe}_{\text{Al}}$). For C$_{\text{B}}$C$_{\text{N}}$ we show that the embedding approach gives many-body states in agreement with analytical results on the Hubbard dimer model, which allows us to elucidate the effects of the DFT functional and double-counting correction. For the NV$^-$ center, our method demonstrates good quantitative agreement with experiments for the zero-phonon line of the triplet-triplet transition. Finally, we illustrate challenges associated with this method for determining the energies and orderings of the complex spin multiplets in $\text{Fe}_{\text{Al}}$.