Constrained Random Phase Approximation: the spectral method

Abstract: We present a new constrained Random Phase Approximation (cRPA) method, termed spectral cRPA (s-cRPA), and compare it to established cRPA approaches for Scandium and Copper by varying the 3d shell filling. The s-cRPA consistently yields larger Hubbard $U$ interaction values. Applied to the realistic system CaFeO$_3$, s-cRPA produces interaction parameters significantly closer to those required within DFT+$U$ to induce the experimentally observed insulating state, overcoming the metallic behavior predicted by standard density functionals. We also address the issue of negative interaction values found in the projector cRPA method for filled d-shells, demonstrating that s-cRPA offers superior numerical stability through electron conversion. Overall, s-cRPA is more robust and effectively overcomes the known underestimation of $U$ in standard cRPA, making it a promising tool for the community. Additionally, we have enhanced our implementation with features for computing multi-center interactions to analyze spatial decay and developed a low-scaling variant with a compressed Matsubara grid to efficiently obtain full frequency-dependent interactions.