Variation of Electron-electron interaction in pyrochlore structures

TL;DR

This study uses ab initio calculations to analyze how electron-electron interactions vary in pyrochlore structures, revealing that Coulomb interaction U plays a more dominant role than bandwidth W in driving metal-insulator transitions, with pressure effects being complex.

Contribution

It demonstrates that Coulomb interaction U is more influential than bandwidth W in the correlation-driven metal-insulator transition in pyrochlore compounds, challenging conventional bandwidth control views.

Findings

U/W ratio increases with chemical pressure, enhancing correlation strength.

U is more influential than W in metal-insulator transitions.

Physical pressure effects vary among different pyrochlore compounds.

Abstract

We conduct a comprehensive \textit{ab initio} investigation of electron-electron interactions within the pyrochlore structures of R$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$, R$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$, Ca$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$, and Cd$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$, where R denotes a rare-earth element. Utilizing a multiorbital Hubbard model, we systematically explore the effects of various rare-earth elements and applied high pressure on the correlation strength in these compounds. Our calculations on the Coulomb interaction parameter $U$ and the bandwidth $W$ reveal that the chemical pressure for R$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$ and R$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$ leads to an unusual increase in $U/W$ ratio, hence, increase in correlation strength. Contrary to conventional understanding of bandwidth control, our study identifies that the Hubbard $U$ is more influential than the bandwidth $W$ behind the metal-insulator landscape of R$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$ and R$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$, leading to an interaction-controlled metal-insulator transition. We also find unexpected behavior in physical pressure. Whereas physical pressure leads to a decrease in the correlation strength $U/W$ as usual in R$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$, the effect is notably small in Ca$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$ and Cd$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$, which provides an important clue to understanding unusual pressure-induced metal-insulator transition observed experimentally.