First-principles nonlocal-pseudopotential approach in the density-functional formalism: Development and application to atoms

We present a method for obtaining first-principles nonlocal atomic pseudopotentials in the density-functional formalism by direct inversion of the pseudopotential eigenvalue problem, where the pseudo-wave-functions are represented as a unitary rotation of the "exact" all-electron wave functions. The usual pseudopotential nonuniqueness of the orbitals is fixed by imposing the physically appealing constraints of maximum similarity to the all-electron wave functions and minimum radial kinetic energy. These potentials are shown to yield very accurate energy eigenvalues, total energy differences, and wave-function moments over a wide range of excited atomic configurations. We have calculated the potentials for 68 transition and nontransition elements of rows 1-5 in the Periodic Table. Their characteristic features, such as classical turning points and minimum potential radii, faithfully reflect the chemical regularities of the Periodic Table. The nonempirical nature of these potentials permits both an analysis of their dominant features in terms of the underlying interelectronic potentials and the systematic improvement of their predictions through inclusion of appropriate correlation terms. As these potentials accurately reproduce both energy eigenvalues and wave functions and can be readily fit to analytic forms with known asymptotic behavior, they can be used directly for studies of many structural and electronic properties of solids (presented in a separate paper).