Self-interaction corrected SCAN functional for molecules and solids in the numeric atom-center orbital framework

Abstract: Semilocal density-functional approximations (DFAs), including the state-of-the-art SCAN functional, are plagued by the self-interaction error (SIE). While this error is explicitly defined only for one-electron systems, it has inspired the self-interaction correction method proposed by Perdew and Zunger (PZ-SIC), which has shown promise in mitigating the many-electron SIE. However, the PZ-SIC method is known for its significant numerical instability. In this study, we introduce a novel constraint that facilitates self-consistent localization of the SIC orbitals in the spirit of Edmiston-Ruedenberg orbitals [Rev. Mod. Phys. 35, 457 (1963)]. Our practical implementation within the all-electron numeric atom-centered orbitals code FHI-aims guarantees efficient and stable convergence of the self-consistent PZ-SIC equations for both molecules and solids. We further demonstrate that our PZ-SIC approach effectively mitigates the SIE in the meta-GGA SCAN functional, significantly improving the accuracy for ionization potentials, charge-transfer energies, and band gaps for a diverse selection of molecules and solids. However, our PZ-SIC method does have its limitations. It can not improve the already accurate SCAN results for properties such as cohesive energies, lattice constants, and bulk modulus in our test sets. This highlights the need for new-generation DFAs with more comprehensive applicability.