Towards the high-throughput prediction of finite-temperature properties using the quasi-harmonic approximation

Lattice dynamics calculations within the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) provide an infrastructure for modelling the finite-temperature properties of periodic solids at a modest computational cost. With the recent widespread interest in materials discovery by data mining, a database of computed finite-temperature properties would be highly desirable. In this work we provide a first step toward this goal with a comparative study of the accuracy of five exchange-correlation functionals, spanning the local density approximation (LDA), generalised-gradient approximation (GGA) and meta-GGA levels of theory, for predicting the properties of ten Group 1, 2 and 12 binary metal oxides. We find that the predictions are bounded by the LDA, which tends to underestimate lattice parameters and cell volumes relative to experiments, but yields the most accurate results for bulk moduli, expansion coefficients and Grüneisen parameters, and the PBE GGA, which shows the opposite behaviour. The PBEsol GGA gives the best overall predictions of the lattice parameters and volumes whilst also giving relatively reliable results for other properties. Our results demonstrate that, given a suitable choice of functional, a variety of finite-temperature properties can be predicted with useful accuracy, and hence that high-throughout QHA calculations are technically feasible.