Category:Density of states

The electronic density of states (DOS) describes how many electronic states are available at a given energy. It is a useful tool for analyzing the electronic structure of materials, identifying band gaps, and distinguishing between metallic and insulating behavior. The DOS can also reveal the contribution of different atoms and orbitals to the electronic states.

In VASP, the density of states is typically calculated after a self-consistent calculation using a dense k-point mesh. The DOS is written to the DOSCAR file, while projected contributions from atoms and orbitals can be obtained using tags such as LORBIT. After obtaining a converged charge density, a non-self-consistent DOS calculation using a denser k-point mesh is often recommended for smoother and more accurate DOS curves.

For non-spin-polarized systems, the DOS is identical for both spin channels. Silicon in the diamond structure is a typical example of a nonmagnetic semiconductor, where the DOS shows a band gap between the occupied valence states and the empty conduction states.

For spin-polarized systems, the electronic structure is calculated separately for the two spin channels. In antiferromagnetic NiO, the total spin-up and spin-down DOS are identical because the opposite magnetic moments compensate each other globally, while the material still shows an insulating band gap.

Plotting the density of states

You can conveniently plot the density of states using the Python package py4vasp. After completing a VASP calculation, load the calculation directory and call the DOS plotting routine:

from py4vasp import Calculation

calc = Calculation.from_path("./CALC/PATH")
calc.dos.plot()

This command reads the DOS data from the calculation directory and generates a plot of the density of states.