Calculated crystal-field parameters for rare-earth impurities in noble metals

Abstract

From first-principles density-functional calculations of the charge distribution the crystal-field (CF) parameters for 4f states of Er and Dy impurities in Ag and Au have been evaluated. The calculations are based on an optimized linear combination of atomic orbitals scheme, where the local-density approximation (LDA) is used for the conduction-electron states, while the localized rare-earth 4f states are treated as ``open core shell.'' As the 4f localization cannot be properly described within LDA, a self-interaction correction for the 4f states is included. In this way, any artificial constraints on the 4f charge density employed in earlier first-principles CF calculations are avoided. The calculated CF parameters agree well with recent neutron scattering data.