Quantum relaxation dynamics using Bohmian trajectories

Moving Boundary Truncated Grid Method: Application to the Time Evolution of Distribution Functions in Phase Space

The moving boundary truncated grid (TG) method, previously developed to integrate the time-dependent Schrödinger equation and the imaginary time Schrödinger equation, is extended to the time evolution of distribution functions in phase space. A variable number of phase space grid points in the Eulerian representation are used to integrate the equation of motion for the distribution function, and the boundaries of the TG are adaptively determined as the distribution function evolves in time. Appropriate grid points are activated and deactivated for propagation of the distribution function, and no advance information concerning the dynamics in phase space is required. The TG method is used to integrate the equations of motion for phase space distribution functions, including the Klein-Kramers, Wigner-Moyal, and modified Caldeira-Leggett equations. Even though the initial distribution function is nonnegative, the solutions to the Wigner-Moyal and modified Caldeira-Leggett equations may develop negative basins in phase space originating from interference effects. Trajectory-based methods for propagation of the distribution function do not permit the formation of negative regions. However, the TG method can correctly capture the negative basins. Comparisons between the computational results obtained from the full grid and TG calculations demonstrate that the TG method not only significantly reduces the computational effort but also permits accurate propagation of various distribution functions in phase space.

Time correlation functions via forward-backward quantum dynamics using Hamilton's law of varying action

We introduce a stable numerical procedure for solving Bohm's equations of motion to compute quantum trajectories in the forward-backward quantum dynamics (FBQD) formulation of zero-temperature time correlation functions. Rather than integrating the differential equations forward in time, our method is based on a series expansion of the quantum trajectory, exploiting Hamilton's law of varying action to determine the expansion coefficients. Because in FBQD the quantum trajectories generally are smooth and the quantum potential is well behaved, our method allows accurate determination of time correlation functions in strongly anharmonic bound systems over several oscillation periods.

Theories of reactive scattering

This paper is an overview of the theory of reactive scattering, with emphasis on fully quantum mechanical theories that have been developed to describe simple chemical reactions, especially atom-diatom reactions. We also describe related quasiclassical trajectory applications, and in all of this review the emphasis is on methods and applications concerned with state-resolved reaction dynamics. The review first provides an overview of the development of the theory, including a discussion of computational methods based on coupled channel calculations, variational methods, and wave packet methods. Choices of coordinates, including the use of hyperspherical coordinates are discussed, as are basis set and discrete variational representations. The review also summarizes a number of applications that have been performed, especially the two most comprehensively studied systems, H+H2 and F+H2, along with brief discussions of a large number of other systems, including other hydrogen atom transfer reactions, insertion reactions, electronically nonadiabatic reactions, and reactions involving four or more atoms. For each reaction we describe the method used and important new physical insight extracted from the results.

Reconciling semiclassical and Bohmian mechanics. II. Scattering states for discontinuous potentials

In a previous paper [B. Poirier, J. Chem. Phys. 121, 4501 (2004)] a unique bipolar decomposition, psi = psi1 + psi2, was presented for stationary bound states Psi of the one-dimensional Schrodinger equation, such that the components psi1 and psi2 approach their semiclassical WKB analogs in the large action limit. Moreover, by applying the Madelung-Bohm ansatz to the components rather than to Psi itself, the resultant bipolar Bohmian mechanical formulation satisfies the correspondence principle. As a result, the bipolar quantum trajectories are classical-like and well behaved, even when psi has many nodes or is wildly oscillatory. In this paper, the previous decomposition scheme is modified in order to achieve the same desirable properties for stationary scattering states. Discontinuous potential systems are considered (hard wall, step potential, and square barrier/well), for which the bipolar quantum potential is found to be zero everywhere, except at the discontinuities. This approach leads to an exact numerical method for computing stationary scattering states of any desired boundary conditions, and reflection and transmission probabilities. The continuous potential case will be considered in a companion paper [C. Trahan and B. Poirier, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 034116 (2006), following paper].

Dissipative quantum phase space dynamics on dynamically adapting grids

A moving grid approach to a dynamical study of dissipative systems is described. The dynamics are studied in phase space for the Caldeira-Leggett master equation. The grid movement is based on the principle of equidistribution and, by using a grid smoothing technique, the grid points trace a path that continuously adapts to reflect the dynamics of a phase-space distribution function. The technique is robust and allows accurate computations to be obtained for long propagation times. The effects of dissipation on the dynamics are studied and results are presented for systems subject to both periodic and nonperiodic multiminimum potential functions.

A Liouville equation for systems which exchange particles with reservoirs: Transport through a nanodevice

A Redfield-like Liouville equation for an open system that couples to one or more leads and exchanges particles with them is derived. The equation is presented for a general case. A case study of time-dependent transport through a single quantum level for varying electrostatic and chemical potentials in the leads is presented. For the case of varying electrostatic potentials the proposed equation yields, for the model study, the results of an exact solution.

Mixed quantum-classical treatment of vibrational decoherence

The mixed quantum-classical method based on the Bohmian formulation of quantum mechanics [J. Chem. Phys. 113, 9369 (2000)]] is applied to study the process of vibrational decoherence of I2 in a dense helium environment. Specifically, the revival of vibrational wave packets, detectable by pump-probe spectroscopy, is a quantum phenomena which depends sensitively on the coherence between the vibrational levels excited by the pump pulse. The time-dependent pump-probe revival signal is a very sensitive way of detecting vibrational dephasing induced by an environment. The very good agreement between previous experimental signals and calculations presented in ths work confirms the theoretical approach and provides a promising basis for the prediction and interpretation of future experiments exploiting quantum revivals as a probe of decoherence.

Trajectory approach to dissipative quantum phase space dynamics: Application to barrier scattering

The Caldeira-Leggett master equation, expressed in Lindblad form, has been used in the numerical study of the effect of a thermal environment on the dynamics of the scattering of a wave packet from a repulsive Eckart barrier. The dynamics are studied in terms of phase space trajectories associated with the distribution function, W(q,p,t). The equations of motion for the trajectories include quantum terms that introduce nonlocality into the motion, which imply that an ensemble of correlated trajectories needs to be propagated. However, use of the derivative propagation method (DPM) allows each trajectory to be propagated individually. This is achieved by deriving equations of motion for the partial derivatives of W(q,p,t) that appear in the master equation. The effects of dissipation on the trajectories are studied and results are shown for the transmission probability. On short time scales, decoherence is demonstrated by a swelling of trajectories into momentum space. For a nondissipative system, a comparison is made of the DPM with the "exact" transmission probability calculated from a fixed grid calculation.

A new method for solving the quantum hydrodynamic equations of motion: Application to two-dimensional reactive scattering

The de Broglie-Bohm hydrodynamic equations of motion are solved using a meshless method based on a moving least squares approach and an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian frame of reference. A regridding algorithm adds and deletes computational points as needed in order to maintain a uniform interparticle spacing, and unitary time evolution is obtained by propagating the wave packet using averaged fields. The numerical instabilities associated with the formation of nodes in the reflected portion of the wave packet are avoided by adding artificial viscosity to the equations of motion. The methodology is applied to a two-dimensional model collinear reaction with an activation barrier. Reaction probabilities are computed as a function of both time and energy, and are in excellent agreement with those based on the quantum trajectory method.

Quantum dissipation in unbounded systems

In recent years trajectory based methodologies have become increasingly popular for evaluating the time evolution of quantum systems. A revival of the de Broglie--Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics has spawned several such techniques for examining quantum dynamics from a hydrodynamic perspective. Using techniques similar to those found in computational fluid dynamics one can construct the wave function of a quantum system at any time from the trajectories of a discrete ensemble of hydrodynamic fluid elements (Bohm particles) which evolve according to nonclassical equations of motion. Until very recently these schemes have been limited to conservative systems. In this paper, we present our methodology for including the effects of a thermal environment into the hydrodynamic formulation of quantum dynamics. We derive hydrodynamic equations of motion from the Caldeira-Leggett master equation for the reduced density matrix and give a brief overview of our computational scheme that incorporates an adaptive Lagrangian mesh. Our applications focus upon the dissipative dynamics of open unbounded quantum systems. Using both the Wigner phase space representation and the linear entropy, we probe the breakdown of the Markov approximation of the bath dynamics at low temperatures. We suggest a criteria for rationalizing the validity of the Markov approximation in open unbound systems and discuss decoherence, energy relaxation, and quantum/classical correspondence in the context of the Bohmian paths.

Quantum trajectory analysis of multimode subsystem-bath dynamics

The dynamics of a swarm of quantum trajectories is investigated for systems involving the interaction of an active mode (the subsystem) with an M-mode harmonic reservoir (the bath). Equations of motion for the position, velocity, and action function for elements of the probability fluid are integrated in the Lagrangian (moving with the fluid) picture of quantum hydrodynamics. These fluid elements are coupled through the Bohm quantum potential and as a result evolve as a correlated ensemble. Wave function synthesis along the trajectories permits an exact description of the quantum dynamics for the evolving probability fluid. The approach is fully quantum mechanical and does not involve classical or semiclassical approximations. Computational results are presented for three systems involving the interaction on an active mode with M=1, 10, and 15 bath modes. These results include configuration space trajectory evolution, flux analysis of the evolving ensemble, wave function synthesis along trajectories, and energy partitioning along specific trajectories. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using a small number of quantum trajectories to obtain accurate quantum results on some types of open quantum systems that are not amenable to standard quantum approaches involving basis set expansions or Eulerian space-fixed grids.