[QE-users] second step of scf in relax calculations didn't converge

Coralie Khabbaz khabbaz.coralie at gmail.com
Wed Jul 1 19:25:20 CEST 2020


 Hello Giuseppe,

where exactly should I include the switch?
Thank you!
------------------------------
*From:* users <users-bounces at lists.quantum-espresso.org> on behalf of
Giuseppe Mattioli <giuseppe.mattioli at ism.cnr.it>
*Sent:* Wednesday, July 1, 2020 12:36:14 PM
*To:* Quantum ESPRESSO users Forum <users at lists.quantum-espresso.org>
*Subject:* Re: [QE-users] second step of scf in relax calculations didn't
converge


A simpler but often effective trick: sometimes at (or after) the first
step your system may be trapped in an unlucky configuration that
prevent convergence of the scf iteration. You can either do as Matteo
says, or try (after inspecting the geometry of the second step to be
sure that your system isn't going bananas) to use the switch
scf_must_converge=.false.
Such switch forces the bfgs step even if the wfc is not fully
converged, and it is sensible only if your wfc is not very far from
convergence and in the initial steps of a 'relax' calculation. If you
are lucky, in a few steps you jump out of your "Bermuda triangle" and
further steps converge in a smoother way.
HTH
Giuseppe

Quoting Coralie Khabbaz <khabbaz.coralie at gmail.com>:

> Hello Matteo,
>
> Thank you so much for your reply. I didn't understand what do you mean by
> initial trust radius? Also, at first my convergence threshold was at 1^-6
> but the first scf step didn't converge in 1000 steps. Then, I fixed it at
> 1^-4 and the first step converged. So do you think I should tighten it? I
> didn't try starting a new scf from the new iconic positions because I
don't
> know how to.
>
> This is my input file:
>
> &CONTROL
>     calculation   = "relax"
>     forc_conv_thr =  1.00000e-03
>     max_seconds   =  4.32000e+05
>     nstep         = 300
>     pseudo_dir    =
"/home/coralee/projects/def-jkopysci/coralee/.pseudopot"
> /
>
> &SYSTEM
>     a                         =  8.32716e+00
>     angle1(1)                 =  0.00000e+00
>     angle1(2)                 =  0.00000e+00
>     angle2(1)                 =  0.00000e+00
>     angle2(2)                 =  0.00000e+00
>     b                         =  8.98689e+00
>     c                         =  2.52767e+01
>     cosab                     =  6.12323e-17
>     cosac                     =  6.12323e-17
>     cosbc                     = -1.85547e-01
>     degauss                   =  2.00000e-02
>     ecutrho                   =  4.75221e+02
>     ecutwfc                   =  5.03902e+01
>     ibrav                     = 14
>     nat                       = 48
>     nbnd                      = 490
>     nspin                     = 2
>     ntyp                      = 2
>     occupations               = "smearing"
>     smearing                  = "gaussian"
>     starting_magnetization(1) =  2.00000e-01
>     starting_magnetization(2) =  2.00000e-01
> /
>
> &ELECTRONS
>     conv_thr         =  1.00000e-04
>     diagonalization  = "david"
>     electron_maxstep = 1000
>     mixing_beta      =  1.00000e-01
>     mixing_mode      = "local-TF"
>     startingpot      = "atomic"
>     startingwfc      = "atomic+random"
> /
>
> &IONS
>     ion_dynamics = "bfgs"
> /
>
> &CELL
> /
>
> K_POINTS {automatic}
>  2  2  1  0 0 0
>
> ATOMIC_SPECIES
> N      14.00674  N.pbe-n-kjpaw_psl.1.0.0.UPF
> W     183.84000  W.pbe-spn-kjpaw_psl.1.0.0.UPF
>
> ATOMIC_POSITIONS {angstrom}
> N       3.207882   2.672960  14.837784
> N       7.371462   2.672960  14.837784
> N       3.207882  -1.820484  14.837784
> N       7.371462  -1.820484  14.837784
> W       3.207882   4.882815  14.748648
> W       7.371462   4.882815  14.748648
> W       3.207882   0.389371  14.748648
> W       7.371462   0.389371  14.748648
> N       1.126093   5.365612  14.468179
> N       5.289672   5.365612  14.468179
> N       1.126093   0.872168  14.468179
> N       5.289672   0.872168  14.468179
> W       1.126093   3.038143  14.415413
> W       5.289672   3.038143  14.415413
> W       1.126093  -1.455301  14.415413
> W       5.289672  -1.455301  14.415413
> N       3.207882   5.336567  12.630078
> N       7.371462   5.336567  12.630078
> N       3.207882   0.843123  12.630078
> N       7.371462   0.843123  12.630078
> W       3.207882   3.052977  12.540942
> W       7.371462   3.052977  12.540942
> W       3.207882  -1.440467  12.540942
> W       7.371462  -1.440467  12.540942
> N       1.126093   3.535775  12.260473
> N       5.289672   3.535775  12.260473
> N       1.126093  -0.957669  12.260473
> N       5.289672  -0.957669  12.260473
> W       1.126093   5.701750  12.207706
> W       5.289672   5.701750  12.207706
> W       1.126093   1.208305  12.207706
> W       5.289672   1.208305  12.207706
> N       3.207882   3.506729  10.422372  0 0 0
> N       7.371462   3.506729  10.422372  0 0 0
> N       3.207882  -0.986715  10.422372  0 0 0
> N       7.371462  -0.986715  10.422372  0 0 0
> W       3.207882   5.716584  10.333236  0 0 0
> W       7.371462   5.716584  10.333236  0 0 0
> W       3.207882   1.223140  10.333236  0 0 0
> W       7.371462   1.223140  10.333236  0 0 0
> N       1.126093   6.199382  10.052766  0 0 0
> N       5.289672   6.199382  10.052766  0 0 0
> N       1.126093   1.705938  10.052766  0 0 0
> N       5.289672   1.705938  10.052766  0 0 0
> W       1.126093   3.871912  10.000000  0 0 0
> W       5.289672   3.871912  10.000000  0 0 0
> W       1.126093  -0.621532  10.000000  0 0 0
> W       5.289672  -0.621532  10.000000  0 0 0
>
> On Wed, 1 Jul 2020 at 10:48, Matteo Cococcioni <matteo.cococcioni at unipv.it
>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> it's very difficult to guess what is wrong in your input if you don't
show
>> it.
>> In any case, if you have converged forces and stresses on cut-off(s) and
>> number of k-points/smearing, it might be a good idea to tighten your
>> convergence threshold and reduce the initial trust radius. Maybe your
>> forces and stresses are so loosely converged and your ionic/cell step so
>> big that the system moves to a configuration that is difficult to
converge.
>> Or maybe your starting lattice parameter/ionic configuration are very far
>> from equilibrium and the system tries to make a big jump at the
beginning.
>> Also, have you tried to start a new scf from the new ionic position?
>>
>> Please add your affiliation
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Matteo
>>
>> Il giorno mer 1 lug 2020 alle ore 13:45 Coralie Khabbaz <
>> khabbaz.coralie at gmail.com> ha scritto:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I am doing a relax calculation on my WN (48 atoms) slab. The first step
>>> of scf calculations converged but then the second step didn't converge
in
>>> 1000 steps (which was my limit). So, the calculations stopped, and I got
>>> many files (data-file.xml, charge-density.dat, paw.txt,
>>> spin-polarization.dat...) but no output file. If my first scf step
>>> converged doesn't that mean that all of my other scf steps should
converge
>>> but need more steps? Or is there a problem in my input file?
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Quantum ESPRESSO is supported by MaX (www.max-centre.eu/quantum-espresso
)
>>> users mailing list users at lists.quantum-espresso.org
>>> https://lists.quantum-espresso.org/mailman/listinfo/users
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Matteo Cococcioni
>> Department of Physics
>> University of Pavia
>> Via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
>> tel +39-0382-987485
>> e-mail matteo.cococcioni at unipv.it <lucio.andreani at unipv.it>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Quantum ESPRESSO is supported by MaX (www.max-centre.eu/quantum-espresso)
>> users mailing list users at lists.quantum-espresso.org
>> https://lists.quantum-espresso.org/mailman/listinfo/users



GIUSEPPE MATTIOLI
CNR - ISTITUTO DI STRUTTURA DELLA MATERIA
Via Salaria Km 29,300 - C.P. 10
I-00015 - Monterotondo Scalo (RM)
Mob (*preferred*) +39 373 7305625
Tel + 39 06 90672342 - Fax +39 06 90672316
E-mail: <giuseppe.mattioli at ism.cnr.it>

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