The VASP Manual

Getting started	Absolute beginners should start here and preferably work through the VASP workshop material.
The Howto's	Kind of a FAQ list of questions "How do I perform ... calculations with VASP".
Example calculations	May serve similar purposes as the above.
INCAR-tags	Information on assorted input parameters/files.
Theoretical Background	Important relations covering PAW, DFT etc.

---

Installation and validation

How to install VASP and validate your installation by means of the VASP test suite and benchmarks.

---

Back to the top

Getting started

Over the years we have held several entry level VASP workshops. The lecture notes and examples of these workshops are a very convenient place to start if you are a beginner and might also be usefull if you are not. Below we have listed a few of the most suitable:

• VASP workshop, Vienna, Austria (2003):

lecture notes and examples from the handson sessions

• VASP workshop at the Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), Nantes, France (2012):

Lecture notes and guides to the Handson sessions, and example calculations.

---

Back to the top

Input

As a minimal setup, VASP requires the user to prepare the following input files:

INCAR, KPOINTS, POSCAR, and POTCAR.

If present (in the directory were the calculation runs) the following output files of previous runs may be read as restart information:

CHGCAR and/or WAVECAR.

Some specific features of VASP require additional output files from previous runs to be present:

---

Back to the top

Output

The main output file of VASP is the OUTCAR file.

The OSZICAR file ...

CHGCAR	WAVECAR	CHG	WAVEDER
CONTCAR	XDATCAR	EIGENVAL	IBZKPT
DOSCAR	PROCAR	PROOUT	PCDAT
ELFCAR	PARCHG	LOCPOT	TMPCAR
vasprun.xml	Wxxxx.tmp	WFULLxxxx.tmp	STOPCAR

---

Back to the top

Tutorials and Examples

• The list of tutorials
• Example calculations

---

Back to the top

Visualisation and Postprocessing

Here we can link to postprocessing programs and script, visualization tools, etc etc.

---

Back to the top

Further reading and additional documentation

Here we should place links to lectures and presentations and articles that concern VASP.

---

Back to the top

Support

If you have questions or run into trouble, please have a look and/or post a question at the VASP forum.

Requests for support from the VASP group are to be directed WITHOUT EXCEPTION to the official VASP email address: vasp.materialphysik@univie.ac.at.

Please note: we offer support on a courtesy base only, not as a contractual service.

---

Back to the top