Ensemble DFT Approach to Excited States of Strongly Correlated Molecular Systems

Doubly Tuned Exchange-Correlation Functionals for Mixed-Reference Spin-Flip Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory

It is demonstrated that significant accuracy improvements in MRSF-TDDFT can be achieved by introducing two different exchange-correlation (XC) functionals for the reference Kohn-Sham DFT and the response part of the calculations, respectively. Accordingly, two new XC functionals of doubly tuned Coulomb attenuated method-vertical excitation energy (DTCAM-VEE) and DTCAM-AEE were developed on the basis of the "adaptive exact exchange (AEE)" concept in the framework of the Coulomb-attenuating XC functionals. The values by DTCAM-VEE are in excellent agreement with those of Thiel's set [mean absolute errors (MAEs) and the interquartile range (IQR) values of 0.218 and 0.327 eV, respectively]. On the other hand, DTCAM-AEE faithfully reproduced the qualitative aspects of conical intersections (CIs) of trans-butadiene and thymine and the nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) simulations on thymine. The latter functional also remarkably exhibited the exact 1/R asymptotic behavior of the charge-transfer state of an ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene dimer and the accurate potential energy surfaces (PESs) along the two torsional angles of retinal protonated Schiff base model with six double bonds (rPSB6). Overall, DTCAM-AEE generally performs well, as its MAE (0.237) and IQR (0.41 eV) are much improved as compared to BH&HLYP. The current idea can also be applied to other XC functionals as well as other variants of linear response theories, opening a new way of developing XC functionals.

Mixed-Reference Spin-Flip Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory: Multireference Advantages with the Practicality of Linear Response Theory

The density functional theory (DFT) and linear response (LR) time-dependent (TD)-DFT are of the utmost importance for routine computations. However, the single reference formulation of DFT suffers in the description of open-shell singlet systems such as diradicals and bond-breaking. LR-TDDFT, on the other hand, finds difficulties in the modeling of conical intersections, doubly excited states, and core-level excitations. In this Perspective, we demonstrate that many of these limitations can be overcome by recently developed mixed-reference (MR) spin-flip (SF)-TDDFT, providing an alternative yet accurate route for such challenging situations. Empowered by the practicality of the LR formalism, it is anticipated that MRSF-TDDFT can become one of the major workhorses for general routine tasks.

Revisiting magnetic exchange couplings in heterodinuclear complexes through the decomposition method in KS-DFT

Providing tools to understand the physical mechanisms governing magnetic properties in transition metal-based compounds is still of great interest. Here, the magnetic exchange coupling in a series of heterodinuclear complexes is investigated by means of the decomposition method. This work presents the first application of the decomposition method to systems where magnetic centres may bear more than one unpaired electron. By decomposing the coupling into three physical contributions (direct exchange, kinetic exchange, and spin polarisation), we provide numerical arguments to confirm or infirm the rationalisation allowed by the conceptual analysis of the magnetic d orbitals. We also take advantage of the recently proposed generalisation of the method [David et al., J. Chem. Theory Comput., 2023, 19, 157] to get more insights into the underlying mechanisms by disentangling the coupling between centres into its electron-electron interactions.

Calculation of exciton couplings based on density functional tight-binding coupled to state-interaction state-averaged ensemble-referenced Kohn-Sham approach

We introduce the combination of the density functional tight binding (DFTB) approach, including onsite correction (OC) and long-range corrected (LC) functional and the state-interaction state-averaged spin-restricted ensemble-referenced Kohn-Sham (SI-SA-REKS or SSR) method with extended active space involving four electrons and four orbitals [LC-OC-DFTB/SSR(4,4)], to investigate exciton couplings in multichromophoric systems, such as organic crystals and molecular aggregates. We employ the LC-OC-DFTB/SSR(4,4) method to calculate the excitonic coupling in anthracene and tetracene. As a result, the LC-OC-DFTB/SSR(4,4) method provides a reliable description of the locally excited (LE) state in a single chromophore and the excitonic couplings between chromophores with reasonable accuracy compared to the experiment and the conventional SSR(4,4) method. In addition, the thermal fluctuation of excitonic couplings from dynamic nuclear motion in an anthracene crystal with LC-OC-DFTB/SSR(4,4) shows a similar fluctuation of excitonic coupling and spectral density with those of first-principle calculations. We conclude that LC-OC-DFTB/SSR(4,4) is capable of providing reasonable features related to LE states, such as Frenkel exciton with efficient computational cost.

Consistent Evaluation of Magnetic Exchange Couplings in Multicenter Compounds in KS-DFT: The Recomposition Method

The use of broken-symmetry calculations in Kohn-Sham density functional theory has offered an affordable route to study magnetic exchange couplings in transition-metal-based compounds. However, computing this property in compounds exhibiting several couplings is still challenging and especially due to the difficulties to overcome the well-known problem of spin contamination. Here, we present a new and general method to compute magnetic exchange couplings in systems featuring several spin sites. To provide a consistent spin decontamination of J values, our strategy exploits the decomposition method of the magnetic exchange coupling proposed by Coulaud et al. and generalizes our previous work on diradical compounds where the overall magnetic exchange coupling is defined as the sum of its three main and properly extracted physical contributions (direct exchange, kinetic exchange, and spin polarization). In this aim, the generalized extraction of all contributions is presented to systems with multiple spin sites bearing one unpaired electron. This is done by proposing a new paradigm to treat the kinetic exchange contribution, which proceeds through monorelaxations of the magnetic orbitals. This method, so-called the recomposition method, is applied to a compound featuring three Cu(II) ions with a linear arrangement and to a recently synthesized complex containing a Cu₄O₄ cubane unit presenting an unusual magnetic behavior.

Towards the engineering of a photon-only two-stroke rotary molecular motor

The rational engineering of photoresponsive materials, e.g., light-driven molecular motors, is a challenging task. Here, we use structure-related design rules to prepare a prototype molecular rotary motor capable of completing an entire revolution using, exclusively, the sequential absorption of two photons; i.e., a photon-only two-stroke motor. The mechanism of rotation is then characterised using a combination of non-adiabatic dynamics simulations and transient absorption spectroscopy measurements. The results show that the rotor moiety rotates axially relative to the stator and produces, within a few picoseconds at ambient T, an intermediate with the same helicity as the starting structure. We discuss how such properties, that include a 0.25 quantum efficiency, can help overcome the operational limitations of the classical overcrowded alkene designs.

Local Hybrid Functional Applicable to Weakly and Strongly Correlated Systems

The recent idea (Wodyński, A.; Arbuznikov, A. V.; Kaupp M. J. Chem. Phys. 2021, 155, 144101) to augment local hybrid functionals by a strong-correlation (sc) factor obtained from the adiabatic connection in the spirit of the KP16 model has been extended and applied to generate the accurate sc-corrected local hybrid functional scLH22t. By damping small values of the ratio between nondynamical and dynamical correlation entering the correction factor, it has become possible to avoid double counting of nondynamical correlation for weakly correlated situations and thereby preserve the excellent accuracy of the underlying LH20t local hybrid for such cases almost perfectly. On the other hand, scLH22t improves substantially over LH20t in reducing fractional-spin errors (FSEs), in providing improved spin-restricted bond dissociation curves, and in treating some typical systems with multireference character. The obtained FSEs are similar to those of the KP16/B13 model and slightly larger than for B13, but performance for weakly correlated systems is better than for these two related methods, which are also difficult to use self-consistently. The recent DM21 functional based on the training of a deep neural network still performs somewhat better than scLH22t but allows no physical insights into the origins of reduced FSEs. Examination of local mixing functions (LMFs) for the corrected scLH22t and uncorrected LH20t functionals provides further insights: in weakly correlated situations, the LMF remains essentially unchanged. Strong-correlation effects manifest in a reduction of the LMF values in certain regions of space, even to the extent of producing negative LMF values. It is suggested that this is the mechanism by which also DM21, which may be viewed as a range-separated local hybrid, is able to reduce FSEs.

Chemical potential, derivative discontinuity, fractional electrons, jump of the Kohn-Sham potential, atoms as thermodynamic open systems, and other (mis)conceptions of the density functional theory of electrons in molecules

Many references exist in the density functional theory (DFT) literature to the chemical potential of the electrons in an atom or a molecule. The origin of this notion has been the identification of the Lagrange multiplier μ = ∂E/∂N in the Euler-Lagrange variational equation for the ground state density as the chemical potential of the electrons. We first discuss why the Lagrange multiplier in this case is an arbitrary constant and therefore cannot be a physical characteristic of an atom or molecule. The switching of the energy derivative ("chemical potential") from -I to -A when the electron number crosses the integer, called integer discontinuity or derivative discontinuity, is not physical but only occurs when the nonphysical noninteger electron systems and the corresponding energy and derivative ∂E/∂N are chosen in a specific discontinuous way. The question is discussed whether in fact the thermodynamical concept of a chemical potential can be defined for the electrons in such few-electron systems as atoms and molecules. The conclusion is that such systems lack important characteristics of thermodynamic systems and do not afford the definition of a chemical potential. They also cannot be considered as analogues of the open systems of thermodynamics that can exchange particles with an environment (a particle bath or other members of a Gibbsian ensemble). Thermodynamical (statistical mechanical) concepts like chemical potential, open systems, grand canonical ensemble etc. are not applicable to a few electron system like an atom or molecule. A number of topics in DFT are critically reviewed in light of these findings: jumps in the Kohn-Sham potential when crossing an integer number of electrons, the band gap problem, the deviation-from-straight-lines error, and the role of ensembles in DFT.

Generalized Formulation of the Density Functional Tight Binding-Based Restricted Ensemble Kohn-Sham Method with Onsite Correction to Long-Range Correction

We present a generalized formulation for the combination of the density functional tight binding (DFTB) approach and the state-interaction state-average spin-restricted ensemble-referenced Kohn-Sham (SI-SA-REKS or SSR) method by considering onsite correction (OC) as well as the long-range corrected (LC) functional. The OC contribution provides more accurate energies and analytic gradients for individual microstates, while the multireference character of the SSR provides the correct description for conical intersections. We benchmark the LC-OC-DFTB/SSR method against various DFTB calculation methods for excitation energies and conical intersection structures with π/π* or n/π* characters. Furthermore, we perform excited-state molecular dynamics simulations with a molecular rotary motor with variations of LC-OC-DFTB/SSR approaches. We show that the OC contribution to the LC functional is crucial to obtain the correct geometry of conical intersections.

Signatures of Conical Intersection Dynamics in the Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectrum of Furan: Theoretical Modeling with an Ensemble Density Functional Theory Method

The non-adiabatic dynamics of furan excited in the ππ* state (S2 in the Franck-Condon geometry) was studied using non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations in connection with an ensemble density functional method. The time-resolved photoelectron spectra were theoretically simulated in a wide range of electron binding energies that covered the valence as well as the core electrons. The dynamics of the decay (rise) of the photoelectron signal were compared with the excited-state population dynamics. It was observed that the photoelectron signal decay parameters at certain electron binding energies displayed a good correlation with the events occurring during the excited-state dynamics. Thus, the time profile of the photoelectron intensity of the K-shell electrons of oxygen (decay constant of 34 ± 3 fs) showed a reasonable correlation with the time of passage through conical intersections with the ground state (47 ± 2 fs). The ground-state recovery constant of the photoelectron signal (121 ± 30 fs) was in good agreement with the theoretically obtained excited-state lifetime (93 ± 9 fs), as well as with the experimentally estimated recovery time constant (ca. 110 fs). Hence, it is proposed to complement the traditional TRPES observations with the trXPS (or trNEXAFS) measurements to obtain more reliable estimates of the most mechanistically important events during the excited-state dynamics.

Reduced scaling extended multi-state CASPT2 (XMS-CASPT2) using supporting subspaces and tensor hyper-contraction

We present a reduced scaling formulation of the extended multi-state CASPT2 (XMS-CASPT2) method, which is based on our recently developed state-specific CASPT2 (SS-CASPT2) formulation using supporting subspaces and tensor hyper-contraction. By using these two techniques, the off-diagonal elements of the effective Hamiltonian can be computed with only O(N³) operations and O(N²) memory, where N is the number of basis functions. This limits the overall computational scaling to O(N⁴) operations and O(N²) memory. Thus, excited states can now be obtained at the same reduced (relative to previous algorithms) scaling we achieved for SS-CASPT2. In addition, we also investigate how the energy denominators can be factorized with the Laplace quadrature when some of the denominators are negative, which is critical for excited state calculations. An efficient implementation of the method has been developed using graphical processing units while also exploiting spatial sparsity in tensor operations. We benchmark the accuracy of the new method by comparison to non-THC formulated XMS-CASPT2 for the excited states of various molecules. In our tests, the THC approximation introduces negligible errors (≈0.01 eV) compared to the non-THC reference method. Scaling behavior and computational timings are presented to demonstrate performance. The new method is also interfaced with quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM). In an example study of green fluorescent protein, we show how the XMS-CASPT2 potential energy surfaces and excitation energies are affected by increasing the size of the QM region up to 278 QM atoms with more than 2300 basis functions.

Computation of Molecular Ionization Energies Using an Ensemble Density Functional Theory Method

Computation of the ionization energies and of the respective Dyson orbitals based on the use of the extended Koopmans theorem (EKT) is implemented in connection with an ensemble density functional theory (eDFT) method, the state-interaction state-averaged spin-restricted ensemble-referenced Kohn-Sham (SI-SA-REKS or SSR) method. The new methodology enables fast computation of the ionization energies and evaluation of the respective Dyson orbitals, the square norms of which are related with the ionization probabilities, in the ground and excited electronic states of molecules. As the application of EKT recycles the intermediate quantities from the SSR analytical energy gradient, evaluation of the ionization energies and probabilities can be carried out on-the-fly during the nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. This opens up a perspective for fast theoretical simulation of the time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy observations. In the present work, the new methodology is tested in the computation of the ionization energies and Dyson orbitals of several molecules in the ground and excited electronic states, including strongly correlated species, such as the ozone molecule, dissociating chemical bonds, and conical intersections.

DFTB+, a software package for efficient approximate density functional theory based atomistic simulations

DFTB+ is a versatile community developed open source software package offering fast and efficient methods for carrying out atomistic quantum mechanical simulations. By implementing various methods approximating density functional theory (DFT), such as the density functional based tight binding (DFTB) and the extended tight binding method, it enables simulations of large systems and long timescales with reasonable accuracy while being considerably faster for typical simulations than the respective ab initio methods. Based on the DFTB framework, it additionally offers approximated versions of various DFT extensions including hybrid functionals, time dependent formalism for treating excited systems, electron transport using non-equilibrium Green's functions, and many more. DFTB+ can be used as a user-friendly standalone application in addition to being embedded into other software packages as a library or acting as a calculation-server accessed by socket communication. We give an overview of the recently developed capabilities of the DFTB+ code, demonstrating with a few use case examples, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the various features, and also discuss on-going developments and possible future perspectives.

Weight dependence of local exchange–correlation functionals in ensemble density-functional theory: double excitations in two-electron systems

We discuss the construction of first-rung weight-dependent exchange–correlation density-functional approximations for He and H₂ specifically designed for the computation of double excitations within Gross–Oliveira–Kohn-DFT.

Fulgides as Light-Driven Molecular Rotary Motors: Computational Design of a Prototype Compound

A new family of light-driven molecular rotary motors utilizing the fulgide motif is proposed and its prototype molecule is studied by quantum chemical calculations and nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. The new motor performs pure unidirectional axial rotation of the rotor blade with high quantum efficiency (ϕ ∼ 0.55-0.68) and ultrafast dynamics (⟨ t⟩ _S1 ∼ 200-300 fs) of its successive photoisomerization steps. The photocyclization reaction typical of fulgide compounds is blocked by the design of the new motor and never occurred in the molecular dynamics simulations. The new motors can be synthesized from easily available precursors. In view of its remarkable photoisomerization ability, the new motor represents a prospective class of compounds for the use in nanosized molecular devices.

Combining Wave Function Methods with Density Functional Theory for Excited States

We review state-of-the-art electronic structure methods based both on wave function theory (WFT) and density functional theory (DFT). Strengths and limitations of both the wave function and density functional based approaches are discussed, and modern attempts to combine these two methods are presented. The challenges in modeling excited-state chemistry using both single-reference and multireference methods are described. Topics covered include background, combining density functional theory with single-configuration wave function theory, generalized Kohn-Sham (KS) theory, global hybrids, range-separated hybrids, local hybrids, using KS orbitals in many-body theory (including calculations of the self-energy and the GW approximation), Bethe-Salpeter equation, algorithms to accelerate GW calculations, combining DFT with multiconfigurational WFT, orbital-dependent correlation functionals based on multiconfigurational WFT, building multiconfigurational wave functions from KS configurations, adding correlation functionals to multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) energies, combining DFT with configuration-interaction singles by means of time-dependent DFT, using range separation to combine DFT with MCSCF, embedding multiconfigurational WFT in DFT, and multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory.

Analytical derivatives of the individual state energies in ensemble density functional theory method. I. General formalism

The state-averaged (SA) spin restricted ensemble referenced Kohn-Sham (REKS) method and its state interaction (SI) extension, SI-SA-REKS, enable one to describe correctly the shape of the ground and excited potential energy surfaces of molecules undergoing bond breaking/bond formation reactions including features such as conical intersections crucial for theoretical modeling of non-adiabatic reactions. Until recently, application of the SA-REKS and SI-SA-REKS methods to modeling the dynamics of such reactions was obstructed due to the lack of the analytical energy derivatives. In this work, the analytical derivatives of the individual SA-REKS and SI-SA-REKS energies are derived. The final analytic gradient expressions are formulated entirely in terms of traces of matrix products and are presented in the form convenient for implementation in the traditional quantum chemical codes employing basis set expansions of the molecular orbitals. The implementation and benchmarking of the derived formalism will be described in a subsequent article of this series.

Spin-Multiplet Components and Energy Splittings by Multistate Density Functional Theory

Kohn-Sham density functional theory has been tremendously successful in chemistry and physics. Yet, it is unable to describe the energy degeneracy of spin-multiplet components with any approximate functional. This work features two contributions. (1) We present a multistate density functional theory (MSDFT) to represent spin-multiplet components and to determine multiplet energies. MSDFT is a hybrid approach, taking advantage of both wave function theory and density functional theory. Thus, the wave functions, electron densities and energy density-functionals for ground and excited states and for different components are treated on the same footing. The method is illustrated on valence excitations of atoms and molecules. (2) Importantly, a key result is that for cases in which the high-spin components can be determined separately by Kohn-Sham density functional theory, the transition density functional in MSDFT (which describes electronic coupling) can be defined rigorously. The numerical results may be explored to design and optimize transition density functionals for configuration coupling in multiconfigurational DFT.

Singlet La and Lb Bands for N-Acenes (N = 2-7): A CASSCF/CASPT2 Study

In this work CASPT2 calculations of polyacenes (from naphthalene to heptacene) were performed to find a methodology suitable for calculations of the absorption spectra, in particular of the L_a (B_2u state) and L_b (B_3u state) bands, of more extended systems. The effect of the extension of the active space and of freezing σ orbitals was investigated. The MCSCF excitation energy of the B_2u state is not sensitive to the size of the active space used. However, the CASPT2 results depend strongly on the amount of σ orbitals frozen reflecting the ionic character of the B_2u state. On the other hand, the excitation energies of the B_3u state are much more sensitive to the size of the active space used in the calculations reflecting its multiconfigurational character. We found a good agreement with experimental data for both bands by including 14 electrons in 14 π orbitals in the active space followed by the CASPT2(14,14) perturbation scheme in which both σ and π orbitals are included.

QTAIM and Stress Tensor Characterization of Intramolecular Interactions Along Dynamics Trajectories of a Light-Driven Rotary Molecular Motor

A quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and stress tensor analysis was applied to analyze intramolecular interactions influencing the photoisomerization dynamics of a light-driven rotary molecular motor. For selected nonadiabatic molecular dynamics trajectories characterized by markedly different S₁ state lifetimes, the electron densities were obtained using the ensemble density functional theory method. The analysis revealed that torsional motion of the molecular motor blades from the Franck-Condon point to the S₁ energy minimum and the S₁/S₀ conical intersection is controlled by two factors: greater numbers of intramolecular bonds before the hop-time and unusually strongly coupled bonds between the atoms of the rotor and the stator blades. This results in the effective stalling of the progress along the torsional path for an extended period of time. This finding suggests a possibility of chemical tuning of the speed of photoisomerization of molecular motors and related molecular switches by reshaping their molecular backbones to decrease or increase the degree of coupling and numbers of intramolecular bond critical points as revealed by the QTAIM/stress tensor analysis of the electron density. Additionally, the stress tensor scalar and vector analysis was found to provide new methods to follow the trajectories, and from this, new insight was gained into the behavior of the S₁ state in the vicinity of the conical intersection.

Computational Design of a Family of Light-Driven Rotary Molecular Motors with Improved Quantum Efficiency

Two new light-driven molecular rotary motors based on the N-alkylated indanylidene benzopyrrole frameworks are proposed and studied using quantum chemical calculations and nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. These new motors perform pure axial rotation, and the photochemical steps of the rotary cycle are dominated by the fast bond-length-alternation motion that enables ultrafast access to the S1/S0 intersection. The new motors are predicted to display a quantum efficiency higher than that of the currently available synthetic all-hydrocarbon motors. Remarkably, the quantum efficiency is not governed by the topography (peaked versus sloped) of the minimum-energy conical intersection, whereas the S1 decay time depends on the topography as well as on the energy of the intersection relative to the S1 minimum. It is the axial chirality (helicity), rather than the point chirality, that controls the sense of rotation of the motor.