Optimized effective potential model for the double perovskites Sr₂ - xYxVMoO₆ and Sr₂ - xYxVTcO₆

In an attempt to explore half-metallic properties of the double perovskites Sr(2 - x)Y(x)VMoO(6) and Sr(2 - x)Y(x)VTcO(6), we construct an effective low-energy model, which describes the behavior of the t(2g) states of these compounds. All parameters of such a model are derived rigorously on the basis of first-principles electronic structure calculations. In order to solve this model, we employ the optimized effective potential method and treat the correlation interactions in the random phase approximation. Although correlation interactions considerably reduce the intraatomic exchange splitting in comparison with the Hartree-Fock approach, this splitting still substantially exceeds the typical values obtained in the local-spin-density approximation (LSDA), which alters many predictions based on the LSDA. Our main results are summarized as follows. (i) All ferromagnetic states are expected to be half-metallic. However, their energies are generally higher than those of the ferrimagnetic ordering between V and Mo/Tc sites (except Sr(2)VMoO(6)). (ii) All ferrimagnetic states are metallic (except fully insulating Y(2)VTcO(6)) and no half-metallic antiferromagnetism has been found. (iii) Moreover, many of the ferrimagnetic structures appear to be unstable with respect to the spin-spiral alignment. Thus, the true magnetic ground state of these systems is expected to be more complex. In addition, we discuss several methodological issues related to nonuniqueness of the effective potential for the half-metallic and magnetic insulating states.