Magnetic susceptibility of insulators from first principles

Abstract

We present an {\it ab initio} approach for the computation of the magnetic susceptibility $χ$ of insulators. The approach is applied to compute $χ$ in diamond and in solid neon using density functional theory in the local density approximation, obtaining good agreement with experimental data. In solid neon, we predict an observable dependence of $χ$ upon pressure.

Revtex, to appear in Physical Review Letter