Configuration interaction calculations of satellite structure in photoelectron spectra of H2O

Reference Energies for Valence Ionizations and Satellite Transitions

Upon ionization of an atom or a molecule, another electron (or more) can be simultaneously excited. These concurrently generated states are called "satellites" (or shakeup transitions) as they appear in ionization spectra as higher-energy peaks with weaker intensity and larger width than the main peaks associated with single-particle ionizations. Satellites, which correspond to electronically excited states of the cationic species, are notoriously challenging to model using conventional single-reference methods due to their high excitation degree compared to the neutral reference state. This work reports 42 satellite transition energies and 58 valence ionization potentials (IPs) of full configuration interaction quality computed in small molecular systems. Following the protocol developed for the quest database [Véril, M.; Scemama, A.; Caffarel, M.; Lipparini, F.; Boggio-Pasqua, M.; Jacquemin, D.; and Loos, P.-F. Wiley Interdiscip. Rev.: Comput. Mol. Sci. 2021, 11, e1517], these reference energies are computed using the configuration interaction using a perturbative selection made iteratively (CIPSI) method. In addition, the accuracy of the well-known coupled-cluster (CC) hierarchy (CC2, CCSD, CC3, CCSDT, CC4, and CCSDTQ) is gauged against these new accurate references. The performances of various approximations based on many-body Green's functions (GW, GF2, and T-matrix) for IPs are also analyzed. Their limitations in correctly modeling satellite transitions are discussed.

Galván I, Alavi A, Aleotti F, Aquilante F, Autschbach J, Avagliano D, Baiardi A, Bao JJ, Battaglia S, Birnoschi L, Blanco-González A, Bokarev SI, Broer R, Cacciari R, Calio PB, Carlson RK, Carvalho Couto R, Cerdán L, Chibotaru LF, Chilton NF, Church JR, Conti I, Coriani S, Cuéllar-Zuquin J, Daoud RE, Dattani N, Decleva P, de Graaf C, Delcey M, De Vico L, Dobrautz W, Dong SS, Feng R, Ferré N, Filatov(Gulak) M, Gagliardi L, Garavelli M, González L, Guan Y, Guo M, Hennefarth MR, Hermes MR, Hoyer CE, Huix-Rotllant M, Jaiswal VK, Kaiser A, Kaliakin DS, Khamesian M, King DS, Kochetov V, Krośnicki M, Kumaar AA, Larsson ED, Lehtola S, Lepetit MB, Lischka H, López Ríos P, Lundberg M, Ma D, Mai S, Marquetand P, Merritt ICD, Montorsi F, Mörchen M, Nenov A, Nguyen VHA, Nishimoto Y, Oakley MS, Olivucci M, Oppel M, Padula D, Pandharkar R, Phung QM, Plasser F, Raggi G, Rebolini E, Reiher M, Rivalta I, Roca-Sanjuán D, Romig T, Safari AA, Sánchez-Mansilla A, Sand AM, Schapiro I, Scott TR, Segarra-Martí J, Segatta F, Sergentu DC, Sharma P, Shepard R, Shu Y, Staab JK, Straatsma TP, Sørensen LK, Tenorio BNC, Truhlar DG, Ungur L, Vacher M, Veryazov V, Voß TA, Weser O, Wu D, Yang X, Yarkony D, Zhou C, Zobel JP, Lindh R. The OpenMolcas Web: A Community-Driven Approach to Advancing Computational Chemistry

The developments of the open-source OpenMolcas chemistry software environment since spring 2020 are described, with a focus on novel functionalities accessible in the stable branch of the package or via interfaces with other packages. These developments span a wide range of topics in computational chemistry and are presented in thematic sections: electronic structure theory, electronic spectroscopy simulations, analytic gradients and molecular structure optimizations, ab initio molecular dynamics, and other new features. This report offers an overview of the chemical phenomena and processes OpenMolcas can address, while showing that OpenMolcas is an attractive platform for state-of-the-art atomistic computer simulations.

X-ray absorption of molecular cations-a new challenge for electronic structure theory

In this paper we put forward some historical notes on the development of computational chemistry toward applications of x-ray spectroscopies. We highlight some of the important contributions by Enrico Clementi as method and program developer and as a supporter of this branch of computational research. We bring up a modern example based on the very recent experimental development of x-ray absorption of cationic molecules. As we show this spectroscopy poses new challenges for electronic structure theory and the electron correlation problem.

Continuum Electronic States: The Tiresia Code

A multicenter (LCAO) B-spline basis is described in detail, and its capabilities concerning affording convergent solutions for electronic continuum states and wavepacket propagation are presented. It forms the core of the Tiresia code, which implements static-DFT and TDDFT hamiltonians, as well as single channel Dyson-DFT and Dyson-TDDFT descriptions to include correlation in the bound states. Together they afford accurate and computationally efficient descriptions of photoionization properties of complex systems, both in the single photon and strong field environments. A number of examples are provided.

Photoionization Observables from Multi-Reference Dyson Orbitals Coupled to B-Spline DFT and TD-DFT Continuum

We present a theoretical model to compute the accurate photoionization dynamical parameters (cross-sections, asymmetry parameters and orbital, or cross-section, ratios) from Dyson orbitals obtained with the multi-state complete active space perturbation theory to the second order (MS-CASPT2) method. Our new implementation of Dyson orbitals in OpenMolcas takes advantage of the full Abelian symmetry point group and has the corrected normalization. The Dyson orbitals are coupled to an accurate description of the electronic continuum obtained with a multicentric B-spline basis at the DFT and TD-DFT levels. Two prototype diatomic molecules, i.e., CS and SiS, have been chosen due to their smallness, which hides important correlation effects. These effects manifest themselves in the appearance of well-characterized isolated satellite bands in the middle of the valence region. The rich satellite structures make CS and SiS the perfect candidates for a computational study based on our highly accurate MS-CASPT2/B-spline TD-DFT protocol.

New Photoelectron-Valence Electron Interactions Evident in the Photoelectron Spectrum of Gd2O. J Phys Chem A 2021;125:9892-9903. [PMID: 34730978 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c07818]

Evidence of strong photoelectron-valence electron (PEVE) interactions has been observed in the anion photoelectron (PE) spectra of several lanthanide suboxide clusters, which are exceptionally complex from an electronic structure standpoint and are strongly correlated systems. The PE spectrum of Gd₂O^-, which should have relatively simple electronic structure because of its half-filled 4f subshell, exhibits numerous electronic transitions. The electron affinity determined from the spectrum is 0.26 eV. The intensities of transitions to excited states increase relative to the lower-energy states with lower photon energy, which is consistent with shakeup transitions driven by time-dependent electron-neutral interactions. A group of intense spectral features that lie between electron binding energies of 0.7 and 2.3 eV are assigned to transitions involving detachment of an electron from outer-valence σ_u and σ_g orbitals that have large Gd 6s contributions. The spectra show parallel transition manifolds in general, which is consistent with detachment from these orbitals. However, several distinct perpendicular transitions are observed adjacent to several of the vertical transitions. A possible explanation invoking interaction between the ejected electron and the high-spin neutral is proposed. Specifically, the angular momentum of electrons ejected from σ_u or σ_g orbitals, which is l = 1, can switch to l = 0, 2 with an associated change in the M_s of the remnant neutral, which is spin-orbit coupling between a free electron and the spin of a neutral.

Capturing Correlation Effects on Photoionization Dynamics

A highly correlated combination of the equation-of-motion coupled cluster (EOM-CC) Dyson orbital and the multicentric B-spline time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT)-based approach is proposed and implemented within the single-channel approximation to describe molecular photoionization processes. The twofold objective of the approach is to capture interchannel coupling effects, missing in the B-spline DFT treatment, and to explore the response of Dyson orbitals to strong correlation effects and its influence on the photoionization observables. We validate our scheme by computing partial cross sections, branching ratios, asymmetry parameters, and molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions of simple molecules. Finally, the method has been applied to the study of photoelectron spectra of the Ni(C₃H₅)₂ molecule, where giant correlation effects completely destroy the Koopmans picture.

Accurate Description of Photoionization Dynamical Parameters

Calculation of dynamical parameters for photoionization requires an accurate description of the initial and final states of the system, as well as of the outgoing electron. We show that using a linear combination of atomic orbitals B-spline density functional theory (DFT) method to describe the outgoing electron, in combination with correlated equation of motion coupled cluster singles and double Dyson orbitals, gives good agreement with experiment and outperforms other simpler approaches, like plane and Coulomb waves, used to describe the photoelectron. Results are presented for cross-sections, angular distributions, and dichroic parameters in chiral molecules, as well as for photoionization from excited states. We also present a comparison with the results obtained using Hartree-Fock and DFT molecular orbitals selected according to Koopmans' theorem for the bound states.

Dyson orbitals within the fc-CVS-EOM-CCSD framework: theory and application to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of ground and excited states

Ionization energies and Dyson orbitals within frozen-core core–valence separated equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (fc-CVS-EOM-CCSD) enable efficient and reliable calculations of standard XPS and of UV-pump/XPS probe spectra.

X-ray and UV Spectra of Glycine within Coupled Cluster Linear Response Theory

The coupled cluster models CCSD and CC3 are used to investigate the (core) excited states and ionization energies of glycine in the gas phase. Excited states and ionization energies in the UV spectral range are calculated using a standard coupled cluster linear response, while core-level excited states and ionization potentials are calculated using the core-valence separation approximation. The temperature dependence from different conformers is also assessed.

Energy-Dependent Relative Cross Sections in Carbon 1s Photoionization: Separation of Direct Shake and Inelastic Scattering Effects in Single Molecules

We demonstrate that the possibility of monitoring relative photoionization cross sections over a large photon energy range allows us to study and disentangle shake processes and intramolecular inelastic scattering effects. In this gas-phase study, relative intensities of the carbon 1s photoelectron lines from chemically inequivalent carbon atoms in the same molecule have been measured as a function of the incident photon energy in the range of 300-6000 eV. We present relative cross sections for the chemically shifted carbon 1s lines in the photoelectron spectra of ethyl trifluoroacetate (the "ESCA" molecule). The results are compared with those of methyl trifluoroacetate and S-ethyl trifluorothioacetate as well as a series of chloro-substituted ethanes and 2-butyne. In the soft X-ray energy range, the cross sections show an extended X-ray absorption fine structure type of wiggles, as was previously observed for a series of chloroethanes. The oscillations are damped in the hard X-ray energy range, but deviations of cross-section ratios from stoichiometry persist, even at high energies. The current findings are supported by theoretical calculations based on a multiple scattering model. The use of soft and tender X-rays provides a more complete picture of the dominant processes accompanying photoionization. Such processes reduce the main photoelectron line intensities by 20-60%. Using both energy ranges enabled us to discern the process of intramolecular inelastic scattering of the outgoing electron, whose significance is otherwise difficult to assess for isolated molecules. This effect relates to the notion of the inelastic mean free path commonly used in photoemission studies of clusters and condensed matter.

Ab initio calculation of femtosecond-time-resolved photoelectron spectra of NO2 after excitation to the A-band

We present calculations of time-dependent photoelectron spectra of NO₂ after excitation to the A-band for comparison with extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. We employ newly calculated potential energy surfaces of the two lowest-lying coupled ²A' states obtained from multi-reference configuration-interaction calculations to propagate the photo-excited wave packet using a split-step-operator method. The propagation includes the nonadiabatic coupling of the potential surfaces as well as the explicit interaction with the pump pulse centered at 3.1 eV (400 nm). A semiclassical approach to calculate the time-dependent photoelectron spectrum arising from the ionization to the eight energetically lowest-lying states of the cation allows us to reproduce the static experimental spectrum up to a binding energy of 16 eV and enables direct comparisons with XUV time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy.

Multi-reference approach to the calculation of photoelectron spectra including spin-orbit coupling

X-ray photoelectron spectra provide a wealth of information on the electronic structure. The extraction of molecular details requires adequate theoretical methods, which in case of transition metal complexes has to account for effects due to the multi-configurational and spin-mixed nature of the many-electron wave function. Here, the restricted active space self-consistent field method including spin-orbit coupling is used to cope with this challenge and to calculate valence- and core-level photoelectron spectra. The intensities are estimated within the frameworks of the Dyson orbital formalism and the sudden approximation. Thereby, we utilize an efficient computational algorithm that is based on a biorthonormal basis transformation. The approach is applied to the valence photoionization of the gas phase water molecule and to the core ionization spectrum of the [Fe(H2O)6](2+) complex. The results show good agreement with the experimental data obtained in this work, whereas the sudden approximation demonstrates distinct deviations from experiments.

Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structures revealed in core ionization photoelectron spectroscopy

Simultaneous core ionization and core excitation have been observed in the C(2)H(2n) (n=1, 2, 3) molecular series using synchrotron radiation and a magnetic bottle time-of-flight electron spectrometer. Rich satellite patterns corresponding to (K(-2)V) core excited states of the K(-1) molecular ions have been identified by detecting in coincidence the photoelectron with the two Auger electrons resulting from the double core hole relaxation. A theoretical model is proposed providing absolute photoionization cross sections and revealing clear signatures of direct (monopolar) and conjugate (dipolar near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure) shakeup lines of comparable magnitude.

Symmetry breaking and hole localization in multiple core electron ionization

Motivated by recent opportunitites to study hollow molecules with multiple core holes offered by X-ray free electron lasers, we revisit the core-hole localization and symmetry breaking problem, now studying ionization of more than one core electron. It is shown, using a N2 molecule with one, two, three, and four core holes, for example, that in a multiconfigurational determination of the core ionization potentials employing a molecular point group with broken inversion symmetry, one particular configuration is sufficient to account for the symmetry breaking relaxation energy in an independent particle approximation in the case of one or three holes, whereas the choice of point group symmetry is unessential for two and four holes. The relaxation energy follows a quadratic dependence on the number of holes in both representations.