Basis Set Generation for Quantum Dynamics Simulations Using Simple Trajectory-Based Methods

Assessing the Accuracy of Quantum Dynamics Performed in the Time-Dependent Basis Representation

A full quantum-mechanical (QM) description of large amplitude nuclear motion, associated with chemical reactions or isomerization of high-dimensional molecular systems, is inherently challenging due to the exponential scaling of the QM complexity with system size. To ameliorate the scaling bottleneck in studies of realistic systems, typically modeled in the configuration space, the nuclear wave functions are represented in terms of time-dependent basis functions. Such bases are expected to give an accurate description with a modest number of basis functions employed, by adapting them to the wave function solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. It is not, however, straightforward to estimate the accuracy of the resulting solution: in QM the energy conservation, a convenient such measure for a classical trajectory evolving in a time-independent potential, is not a sufficient criterion of the dynamics' accuracy. In this work, we argue that the expectation value of the Hamiltonian's "variance", quantifying the basis completeness, is a suitable practical measure of the quantum dynamics' accuracy. Illustrations are given for several chemistry-relevant test systems, modeled employing time-independent as well as time-dependent bases, including the coupled and variational coherent states methods and the quantum-trajectory guided adaptable Gaussians (QTAG) as the latter basis type. A novel semilocal definition of the QTAG basis time-evolution for placing the basis functions "in the right place at the right time" is also presented.

Variational Squeezed Davydov Ansatz for Realistic Chemical Systems with Nonlinear Vibronic Coupling

Chemical systems normally possess strong nonlinear vibronic couplings at both zero and finite temperature. For the lowest-order quadratic couplings, here, we introduce a squeezing operator into a variational coherent-state-based method, Davydov ansatz, to simulate the quantum dynamics and the respective spectroscopy. Two molecular systems, pyrazine and the 2-pyridone dimer, are taken as calculated model systems, both of which involve nontrivial quadratic vibronic couplings in high- and low-frequency regions, respectively. Upon a comparison with the benchmarks, the method manifests its advantage for nonlinear couplings. The squeezed bases are also proven to be applicable for the finite temperature by adapting with the thermofield dynamics.

Mixed quantum-classical approach to model non-adiabatic electron-nuclear dynamics: Detailed balance and improved surface hopping method

We develop a density matrix formalism to describe coupled electron-nuclear dynamics. To this end, we introduce an effective Hamiltonian formalism that describes electronic transitions and small (quantum) nuclear fluctuations along a classical trajectory of the nuclei. Using this Hamiltonian, we derive equations of motion for the electronic occupation numbers and for the nuclear coordinates and momenta. We show that, in the limit, when the number of nuclear degrees of freedom coupled to a given electronic transition is sufficiently high (i.e., the strong decoherence limit), the equations of motion for the electronic occupation numbers become Markovian. Furthermore, the transition rates in these (rate) equations are asymmetric with respect to the lower-to-higher energy transitions and vice versa. In thermal equilibrium, such asymmetry corresponds to the detailed balance condition. We also study the equations for the electronic occupations in the non-Markovian regime and develop a surface hopping algorithm based on our formalism. To treat the decoherence effects, we introduce additional "virtual" nuclear wave packets whose interference with the "real" (physical) wave packets leads to the reduction in coupling between the electronic states (i.e., decoherence) as well as to the phase shifts that improve the accuracy of the numerical approach. Remarkably, the same phase shifts lead to the detailed balance condition in the strong decoherence limit.

Full Quantum Dynamics Simulation of a Realistic Molecular System Using the Adaptive Time-Dependent Density Matrix Renormalization Group Method

The accurate theoretical interpretation of ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy experiments relies on full quantum dynamics simulations for the investigated system, which is nevertheless computationally prohibitive for realistic molecular systems with a large number of electronic and/or vibrational degrees of freedom. In this work, we propose a unitary transformation approach for realistic vibronic Hamiltonians, which can be coped with using the adaptive time-dependent density matrix renormalization group (t-DMRG) method to efficiently evolve the nonadiabatic dynamics of a large molecular system. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of this approach with an example of simulating the exciton dissociation process within an oligothiophene/fullerene heterojunction, indicating that t-DMRG can be a promising method for full quantum dynamics simulation in large chemical systems. Moreover, it is also shown that the proper vibronic features in the ultrafast electronic process can be obtained by simulating the two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectrum by virtue of the high computational efficiency of the t-DMRG method.

A Perspective on the Ultrafast Photochemistry of Solution-Phase Sunscreen Molecules

Sunscreens are one of the most common ways of providing on-demand additional photoprotection to the skin. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy has recently proven to be an invaluable tool in understanding how the components of commercial sunscreen products display efficient photoprotection. Important examples of how this technique has unravelled the photodynamics of common components are given in this Perspective, and some of the remaining unanswered questions are discussed.