Multireference equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory

Renormalized Internally Contracted Multireference Coupled Cluster with Perturbative Triples

In this work, we combine the many-body formulation of the internally contracted multireference coupled cluster (ic-MRCC) method with Evangelista's multireference formulation of the driven similarity renormalization group (DSRG). The DSRG method can be viewed as a unitary multireference coupled cluster theory, which renormalizes the amplitudes based on a flow equation approach to eliminate numerical instabilities. We extend this approach by demonstrating that the unitary flow equation approach can be adapted for nonunitary transformations, rationalizing the renormalization of ic-MRCC amplitudes. We denote the new approach, the renormalized ic-MRCC (ric-MRCC) method. To achieve high accuracy with a reasonable computational cost, we introduce a new approximation to the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff expansion. We fully consider the linear commutator while approximating the quadratic commutator, for which we neglect specific contractions involving amplitudes with active indices. Moreover, we introduce approximate perturbative triples to obtain the ric-MRCCSD[T] method. We demonstrate the accuracy of our approaches in comparison to advanced multireference methods for the potential energy curves of H8, F2, H2O, N2, and Cr2. Additionally, we show that ric-MRCCSD and ric-MRCSSD[T] match the accuracy of CCSD(T) for evaluating spectroscopic constants and of full configuration interaction energies for a set of small molecules.

Efficient Spin-Adapted Implementation of Multireference Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction Theory. I. Core-Ionized States and X-ray Photoelectron Spectra

We present an efficient implementation of multireference algebraic diagrammatic construction theory (MR-ADC) for simulating core-ionized states and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). Taking advantage of spin adaptation, automatic code generation, and density fitting, our implementation can perform calculations for molecules with more than 1500 molecular orbitals, incorporating static and dynamic correlation in the ground and excited electronic states. We demonstrate the capabilities of MR-ADC methods by simulating the XPS spectra of substituted ferrocene complexes and azobenzene isomers. For the ground electronic states of these molecules, the XPS spectra computed using the extended second-order MR-ADC method (MR-ADC(2)-X) are in a very good agreement with available experimental results. We further show that MR-ADC can be used as a tool for interpreting or predicting the results of time-resolved XPS measurements by simulating the core ionization spectra of azobenzene along its photoisomerization, including the XPS signatures of excited states and the minimum energy conical intersection. This work is the first in a series of publications reporting the efficient implementations of MR-ADC methods.

Code generation in ORCA: progress, efficiency and tight integration

An improved version of ORCA's automated generator environment (ORCA-AGE II) is presented. The algorithmic improvements and the move to C++ as the programming language lead to a performance gain of up to two orders of magnitude compared to the previously developed PYTHON toolchain. Additionally, the restructured modular design allows for far more complex code engines to be implemented readily. Importantly, we have realised an extremely tight integration with the ORCA host program. This allows for a workflow in which only the wavefunction Ansatz is part of the source code repository while all actual high-level code is generated automatically, inserted at the appropriate place in the host program before it is compiled and linked together with the hand written code parts. This construction ensures longevity and uniform code quality. Furthermore the new developments allow ORCA-AGE II to generate parallelised production-level code for highly complex theories, such as fully internally contracted multireference coupled-cluster theory (fic-MRCC) with an enormous number of contributing tensor contractions. We also discuss the automated implementation of nuclear gradients for arbitrary theories. All these improvements enable the implementation of theories that are too complex for the human mind and also reduce development times by orders of magnitude. We hope that this work enables researchers to concentrate on the intellectual content of the theories they develop rather than be concerned with technical details of the implementation.

Theoretical insights into the spectroscopic properties of ferrocenyl hetaryl ketones

Quantum chemical calculations have been carried out to elucidate the electronic structure as well as to draw structure-property relationships for a series of ferrocenyl hetaryl ketones by means of simulated NMR, IR and UV-vis spectra. In this series, the list of hetaryl groups included furan-2-yl, thiophen-2-yl, selenophen-2-yl, 1H-pyrrol-2-yl and N-methylpyrrol-2-yl. Density functional theory was employed to determine the ground-state properties of the five ketones while their excited-state properties were modeled using a broad range of theoretical methods, namely from time-dependent density functional theory to multiconfigurational and multireference ab initio approaches. The patterns in the ¹³C and ¹⁷O chemical shifts of the carbonyl group were explained by the geometrical twist of hetaryl rings and by the electronic parameters corresponding to π-bonds conjugation and group hardness. Furthermore, the corresponding ¹³C and ¹⁷O shielding constants were analyzed in terms of both their dia/paramagnetic and Lewis/non-Lewis contributions within the framework of natural chemical shielding theory. The pattern in the vibrational frequency of the carbonyl bond was connected with changes in its bond length and bond order. It was established that the electronic absorption spectra of the studied ketones are largely characterized by low-intensity d → π* transitions in the visible region and the dominant high-intensity π → π* transition in the UV region. Finally, the theoretical methods best suited for modeling the excited-state properties of such ketones were designated.

Development of NOTCH, an all-electron, beyond-NDDO semiempirical method: Application to diatomic molecules

In this work, we develop a new semiempirical method, dubbed NOTCH (Natural Orbital Tied Constructed Hamiltonian). Compared to existing semiempirical methods, NOTCH is less empirical in its functional form as well as parameterization. Specifically, in NOTCH, (1) the core electrons are treated explicitly; (2) the nuclear-nuclear repulsion term is calculated analytically, without any empirical parameterization; (3) the contraction coefficients of the atomic orbital (AO) basis depend on the coordinates of the neighboring atoms, which allows the size of AOs to depend on the molecular environment, despite the fact that a minimal basis set is used; (4) the one-center integrals of free atoms are derived from scalar relativistic multireference equation-of-motion coupled cluster calculations instead of empirical fitting, drastically reducing the number of necessary empirical parameters; (5) the (AA|AB) and (AB|AB)-type two-center integrals are explicitly included, going beyond the neglect of differential diatomic overlap approximation; and (6) the integrals depend on the atomic charges, effectively mimicking the "breathing" of AOs when the atomic charge varies. For this preliminary report, the model has been parameterized for the elements H-Ne, giving only 8 empirical global parameters. Preliminary results on the ionization potentials, electron affinities, and excitation energies of atoms and diatomic molecules, as well as the equilibrium geometries, vibrational frequencies dipole moments, and bond dissociation energies of diatomic molecules, show that the accuracy of NOTCH rivals or exceeds those of popular semiempirical methods (including PM3, PM7, OM2, OM3, GFN-xTB, and GFN2-xTB) as well as the cost-effective ab initio method Hartree-Fock-3c.

Assessment of State-Averaged Driven Similarity Renormalization Group on Vertical Excitation Energies: Optimal Flow Parameters and Applications to Nucleobases

We present a comprehensive excited-state benchmark for the state-averaged (SA) driven similarity renormalization group (DSRG) [Li, C.; Evangelista, F. A. J. Chem. Phys. 2018, 148, 124106]. Following the QUEST database [Véril, M.; Scemama, A.; Caffarel, M.; Lipparini, F.; Boggio-Pasqua, M.; Jacquemin, D.; Loos, P.-F. Wiley Interdiscip. Rev. Comput. Mol. Sci. 2021, 11, e1517], 280 vertical transition energies of 35 medium-sized molecules are computed using the SA-DSRG derived second- and third-order perturbation theories (PT2/PT3) along with a nonperturbative approach [sq-LDSRG(2)]. Comparing to the theoretical best estimates, the optimal flow parameter is found to be 0.35 and 2.0 Eh-2 for SA-DSRG-PT2 and SA-DSRG-PT3, respectively. For SA-sq-LDSRG(2), a flow parameter of 1.5 Eh-2 provides converged equations without compromising the accuracy. We then assess the accuracy of the SA-DSRG hierarchy using these parameters. The SA-DSRG-PT2 scheme outperforms the level-shifted CASPT2 by 0.10 eV in mean absolute error (MAE), yet this accuracy is slightly inferior than that of CASPT2 with the ionization-potential-electron-affinity shift. Both SA-DSRG-PT3 and SA-sq-LDSRG(2) yield a MAE of 0.10 eV, which is comparable to that of CASPT3 (0.09 eV). Finally, we compute vertical excitation energies of several low-lying singlet states of nucleobases. The SA-sq-LDSRG(2) approach provides highly accurate results for π → π* excitations, while n → π* transitions are better described by SA-DSRG-PT3.

Automatic derivation of many-body theories based on general Fermi vacua

This paper describes Wick&d, an implementation of the algebra of second-quantized operators normal ordered with respect to general correlated references and the corresponding Wick theorem [D. Mukherjee, Chem. Phys. Lett. 274, 561 (1997) and W. Kutzelnigg and D. Mukherjee, J. Chem. Phys. 107, 432 (1997)]. Wick&d employs a compact representation of operators and a backtracking algorithm to efficiently evaluate Wick contractions. Since Wick&d can handle both fully and partially contracted terms, it can be applied to both projective and Fock-space many-body formalisms. To demonstrate the usefulness of  Wick&d, we use it to evaluate the single-reference coupled cluster equations up to octuple excitations and report an automated derivation and implementation of the second-order driven similarity renormalization group multireference perturbation theory.

Simulating X-ray photoelectron spectra with strong electron correlation using multireference algebraic diagrammatic construction theory

A new theoretical approach for the simulations of X-ray photoelectron spectra of strongly correlated molecular systems that combines multireference algebraic diagrammatic construction theory (MR-ADC) with a core–valence separation (CVS) technique.

Dressing of Vertices by Cumulants in Multi-Reference Coupled Cluster

A new scheme is introduced in Multi-Reference (MR) Coupled Cluster (CC) based on the MR Generalized Normal Ordering (MRGNO) and the corresponding MR Generalized Wick Theorem (MRGWT) of Kutzelnigg and Mukherjee. The key element is the identification of a structure in MRGWT generated terms, facilitated by Goldstone diagram techniques. This allows for bundling the many terms of the MRGWT expansion and introduces a hierarchy in the equations that can be harnessed in devising approximations. One- and two-particle interaction vertices are found to be uniformly substituted for their counterpart dressed by density cumulants. This allows for a straightforward rewriting of the ordinary energy expression of CC with interaction dressed (id) one- and two-particle terms and reveals the presence of three- and higher-rank dressed interaction vertices too. Cumulants appearing out of dressed interaction vertices contribute to the amplitude equations and can be interpreted to have an amplitude dressing role. Dressing of one- and two-particle interaction vertices is the most straightforward to implement and does not hinder computational feasibility, provided that the reference function involves strictly limited active space sizes. The Generalized Valence Bond wave function, underlying pilot numerical tests, fulfills this criterion. Results on multiple bond breaking scenarios point to the need of stepping beyond one- and two-particle id. An extremely simple version of incorporating amplitude dressing in addition to one- and two-particle id is seen to cure the potential energy curves remarkably, stimulating further investigations along this line.

Multireference Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction Theory for Excited States: Extended Second-Order Implementation and Benchmark

We present an implementation and benchmark of new approximations in multireference algebraic diagrammatic construction theory for simulations of neutral electronic excitations and UV/vis spectra of strongly correlated molecular systems (MR-ADC). Following our work on the first-order MR-ADC approximation [J. Chem. Phys. 2018, 149, 204113], we report the strict and extended second-order MR-ADC methods (MR-ADC(2) and MR-ADC(2)-X) that combine the description of static and dynamic electron correlation in the ground and excited electronic states without relying on state-averaged reference wave functions. We present an extensive benchmark of the new MR-ADC methods for excited states in several small molecules, including the carbon dimer, ethylene, and butadiene. Our results demonstrate that, for weakly correlated electronic states, the MR-ADC(2) and MR-ADC(2)-X methods outperform the third-order single-reference ADC approximation and are competitive with the results from equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory. For states with multireference character, the performance of the MR-ADC methods is similar to that of an N-electron valence perturbation theory. In contrast to conventional multireference perturbation theories, the MR-ADC methods have many attractive features, such as a straightforward and efficient calculation of excited-state properties and a direct access to excitations outside of the frontier (active) orbitals.

Spin-free formulation of the multireference driven similarity renormalization group: A benchmark study of first-row diatomic molecules and spin-crossover energetics

We report a spin-free formulation of the multireference (MR) driven similarity renormalization group (DSRG) based on the ensemble normal ordering of Mukherjee and Kutzelnigg [J. Chem. Phys. 107, 432 (1997)]. This ensemble averages over all microstates of a given total spin quantum number, and therefore, it is invariant with respect to SU(2) transformations. As such, all equations may be reformulated in terms of spin-free quantities and they closely resemble those of spin-adapted closed-shell coupled cluster (CC) theory. The current implementation is used to assess the accuracy of various truncated MR-DSRG methods (perturbation theory up to third order and iterative methods with single and double excitations) in computing the constants of 33 first-row diatomic molecules. The accuracy trends for these first-row diatomics are consistent with our previous benchmark on a small subset of closed-shell diatomic molecules. We then present the first MR-DSRG application on transition-metal complexes by computing the spin splittings of the [Fe(H₂O)₆]²⁺ and [Fe(NH₃)₆]²⁺ molecules. A focal point analysis (FPA) shows that third-order perturbative corrections are essential to achieve reasonably converged energetics. The FPA based on the linearized MR-DSRG theory with one- and two-body operators and up to a quintuple-ζ basis set predicts the spin splittings of [Fe(H₂O)₆]²⁺ and [Fe(NH₃)₆]²⁺ to be -35.7 and -17.1 kcal mol^-1, respectively, showing good agreement with the results of local CC theory with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples.

Reduced Density Matrix Cumulants: The Combinatorics of Size-Consistency and Generalized Normal Ordering

Reduced density matrix cumulants play key roles in the theory of both reduced density matrices and multiconfigurational normal ordering. We present a new, simpler generating function for reduced density matrix cumulants that is formally identical with equating the coupled cluster and configuration interaction ansätze. This is shown to be a general mechanism to convert between a multiplicatively separable quantity and an additively separable quantity, as defined by a set of axioms. It is shown that both the cumulants of probability theory and the reduced density matrices are entirely combinatorial constructions, where the differences can be associated with changes in the notion of "multiplicative separability" for expectation values of random variables compared to reduced density matrices. We compare our generating function to that of previous works and criticize previous claims of probabilistic significance of the reduced density matrix cumulants. Finally, we present a simple proof of the generalized normal ordering formalism to explore the role of reduced density matrix cumulants therein. While the formalism can be used without cumulants, the combinatorial structure of expressing RDMs in terms of cumulants is the same combinatorial structure on cumulants that allows for a simple extended generalized Wick's theorem.

Ring coupled cluster doubles at the multireference level

A ring approximation within an internally contracted multireference (MR) Coupled Cluster (CC) framework is worked out and tested. Derivation of equations utilizes MR based, generalized normal ordering and the corresponding generalized Wick-theorem (MR-GWT). Contractions among cluster operators are avoided by adopting a normal ordered exponential ansatz. The original version of the MR ring CC doubles (MR-rCCD) equations [Á. Szabados and Á. Margócsy, Mol. Phys. 115, 2731 (2017)] is rectified in two aspects. On the one hand, over-completeness of double excitations is treated by relying on the concept of frames. On the other hand, restriction on the maximal cumulant rank is lifted from two to four. This is found essential for obtaining reliable correlation corrections to the energy. The MR function underlying the approach is provided by the Generalized Valence Bond (GVB) model. The pair structure of the reference ensures a fragment structure of GVB cumulants. This represents a benefit when evaluating cumulant contractions appearing as a consequence of MR-GWT. In particular, cumulant involving terms remain less expensive than their traditional, pair-contracted counterpart, facilitating an O(N⁶) eventual scaling of the proposed MR-rCCD method. Pilot applications are presented for covalent bond breaking, deprotonation energies, and torsional potentials.

Improvement of Ab Initio Ligand Field Theory by Means of Multistate Perturbation Theory

Over the last few years, ab initio ligand field theory (AILFT) has evolved into an important tool for the extraction of ligand field models from ab initio calculations. The inclusion of dynamic correlation on top of complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) reference functions, which is important for accurate results, was so far realized at the level of second-order N-electron valence state perturbation theory (NEVPT2). In this work, we introduce two alternative methods for the inclusion of dynamic correlation into AILFT calculations, the second-order dynamic correlation dressed complete active space method (DCD-CAS(2)) and the Hermitian quasi-degenerate NEVPT2 (HQD-NEVPT2). These methods belong to the class of multistate perturbation theory approaches, which allow for the mixing of CASSCF states under the effect of dynamic correlation (state-mixing). The two new versions of AILFT were tested for a diverse set of transition-metal complexes. It was found that the multistate methods have, compared to NEVPT2, an AILFT fit with smaller root mean square deviations (rmsds) between ab initio and AILFT energies. A comparison of AILFT excitation energies with the experiment shows that for some systems, the agreement gets better at the multistate level because of the smaller rmsds. However, for some systems, the agreement gets worse, which could be attributed to a cancellation of errors at the NEVPT2 level that is partly removed at the multistate level. An investigation of trends in the extracted ligand field parameters shows that at the multistate level, the ligand field splitting Δ gets larger, whereas the Racah parameters B and C get smaller and larger, respectively. An investigation of the reasons for the observed improvement for octahedral Cr^III halide complexes shows that the possibility of state-mixing relaxes constraints that are present at the NEVPT2 level and that keep Δ and B from following their individual preferences.

Multireference Theories of Electron Correlation Based on the Driven Similarity Renormalization Group

The driven similarity renormalization group (DSRG) provides an alternative way to address the intruder state problem in quantum chemistry. In this review, we discuss recent developments of multireference methods based on the DSRG. We provide a pedagogical introduction to the DSRG and its various extensions and discuss its formal properties in great detail. In addition, we report several illustrative applications of the DSRG to molecular systems.

Perturbative triples correction to domain-based local pair natural orbital variants of Mukherjee's state specific coupled cluster method

In this article we report an implementation of the perturbative triples correction to Mukherjee's state-specific multireference coupled cluster method based on the domain-based pair natural orbital approach (DLPNO-MkCC). We tested the performance of DLPNO-MkCCSD(T) in calculations involving tetramethyleneethane and isomers of naphthynes. These tests show that more than 97% of triples energy was recovered with respect to the canonical MkCCSD(T) method, which together with the DLPNO-MkCCSD part accounts for about 99.70-99.85% of the total correlation energy. The applicability of the method was demonstrated on calculations of singlet-triplet gaps for several large systems: triangulene, dynemicin A, and a beryllium complex.

An integral-factorized implementation of the driven similarity renormalization group second-order multireference perturbation theory

We report an efficient implementation of a second-order multireference perturbation theory based on the driven similarity renormalization group (DSRG-MRPT2) [C. Li and F. A. Evangelista, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 11, 2097 (2015)]. Our implementation employs factorized two-electron integrals to avoid storage of large four-index intermediates. It also exploits the block structure of the reference density matrices to reduce the computational cost to that of second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory. Our new DSRG-MRPT2 implementation is benchmarked on ten naphthyne isomers using basis sets up to quintuple-ζ quality. We find that the singlet-triplet splittings (ΔST) of the naphthyne isomers strongly depend on the equilibrium structures. For a consistent set of geometries, the ΔST values predicted by the DSRG-MRPT2 are in good agreements with those computed by the reduced multireference coupled cluster theory with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples.

Towards numerically robust multireference theories: The driven similarity renormalization group truncated to one- and two-body operators

The first nonperturbative version of the multireference driven similarity renormalization group (MR-DSRG) theory [C. Li and F. A. Evangelista, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 11, 2097 (2015)] is introduced. The renormalization group structure of the MR-DSRG equations ensures numerical robustness and avoidance of the intruder-state problem, while the connected nature of the amplitude and energy equations guarantees size consistency and extensivity. We approximate the MR-DSRG equations by keeping only one- and two-body operators and using a linearized recursive commutator approximation of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff expansion [T. Yanai and G. K.-L. Chan, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 194106 (2006)]. The resulting linearized MR-DSRG scheme with one- and two-body operators [MR-LDSRG(2)] contains only 39 terms and scales as O(N(2)NP (2)NH (2)) where NH, NP, and N correspond to the number of hole, particle, and total orbitals, respectively. Benchmark MR-LDSRG(2) computations on the hydrogen fluoride and molecular nitrogen binding curves and the singlet-triplet splitting of p-benzyne yield results comparable in accuracy to those from multireference configuration interaction, Mukherjee multireference coupled cluster theory, and internally contracted multireference coupled cluster theory.

Multiconfigurational Second-Order Perturbation Theory with Frozen Natural Orbitals Extended to the Treatment of Photochemical Problems

A new flavor of the frozen natural orbital complete active space second-order perturbation theory method (FNO-CASPT2, Aquilante et al., J. Chem. Phys. 131, 034113) is proposed herein. In this new implementation, the virtual space in Cholesky decomposition-based CASPT2 computations (CD-CASPT2) is truncated by excluding those orbitals that contribute the least toward preserving a predefined value of the trace of an approximate density matrix, as that represents a measure of the amount of dynamic correlation retained in the model. In this way, the amount of correlation included is practically constant at all nuclear arrangements, thus allowing for the computation of smooth electronic states surfaces and energy gradients-essential requirements for theoretical studies in photochemistry. The method has been benchmarked for a series of relevant biochromophores for which large speed-ups have been recorded while retaining the accuracy achieved in the corresponding CD-CASPT2 calculations. Both vertical excitation energies and gradient calculations have been carried out to establish general guidelines as to how much correlation needs to be retained in the calculation for the results to be consistent with the CD-CASPT2 findings. Our results feature errors within a tenth of an eV for the most difficult cases and have been validated to be used for gradient computations where an up to 3-fold speed-up is observed depending on the size of the system and the basis set employed.

Aspects of Size-Consistency of Orbitally Noninvariant Size-Extensive Multireference Perturbation Theories: A Case Study Using UGA-SSMRPT2 as a Prototype

Profiling a potential energy surface (PES), all the way to dissociate a molecular state into particular fragments and to display real or avoided crossings, requires a multireference description and the maintenance of size-consistency. The many body methods, which suit this purpose, should thus be size-extensive. Size-extensive theories, which are invariant with respect to transformation among active orbitals are, in principle, size-consistent. Relatively cheaper size-extensive theories, which do not possess this invariance, can still be size-consistent if the active orbitals are localized on the asymptotic fragments. Such methods, if perturbative in nature, require the use of an unperturbed Hamiltonian, which has orbital invariance with respect to the transformation within active, core, and virtual orbitals. The principal focus of this paper is to numerically realize size-consistency with localized active orbitals using our recently developed orbitally noninvariant Unitary Group Adapted State Specific Multireference second order Perturbation Theory (UGA-SSMRPT2) as a prototype method. Our findings expose certain generic potential pitfalls of size-extensive but orbitally noninvariant MRPT theories, which are mostly related to the inability of reaching proper localized active orbitals in the fragments due to the artifacts of the orbital generation procedure. Despite the invariance of the zeroth order CAS function, lack of invariance of the MRPT itself then leads to size-inconsistency. In particular, reaching symmetry broken fragment active orbitals is an issue of concern where suitable state-averaging might ameliorate the problem, but then one has to abandon full orbital optimization. Additionally, there can be situations where the orbitals of the fragment reached as an asymptote of the supermolecule are not the same as those obtained from the optimization of the fragments individually and will require additional transformation. Moreover, for a certain PES, one may either abandon the use of optimized orbitals for that state to preserve proper symmetry and degeneracy in the fragment orbitals or be satisfied with the use of optimized orbitals, which generate broken symmetric orbitals in the fragmentation limit. All these pathologies are illustrated using the PES of various electronic states of multiply bonded systems like N2, C2H2, HCN, C2, and O2. Subject to such proviso, the UGA-SSMRPT2 turns out to be an excellent theory for studying the PES leading to fragmentation of strongly correlated systems satisfying the requirements of size-consistency with localized active orbitals. An unexpected spin-off of our studies is the realization that the size-inextensive MRMP2, which bears a close structural similarity with our theory, might under certain situations display size-consistency. We analyze this feature concretely in our paper. Our studies may serve as a benchmark for monitoring numerically the size-consistency of any state specific multireference theory which is size-extensive but not invariant with respect to transformation of active orbitals.

Adaptive multiconfigurational wave functions

A method is suggested to build simple multiconfigurational wave functions specified uniquely by an energy cutoff Λ. These are constructed from a model space containing determinants with energy relative to that of the most stable determinant no greater than Λ. The resulting Λ-CI wave function is adaptive, being able to represent both single-reference and multireference electronic states. We also consider a more compact wave function parameterization (Λ+SD-CI), which is based on a small Λ-CI reference and adds a selection of all the singly and doubly excited determinants generated from it. We report two heuristic algorithms to build Λ-CI wave functions. The first is based on an approximate prescreening of the full configuration interaction space, while the second performs a breadth-first search coupled with pruning. The Λ-CI and Λ+SD-CI approaches are used to compute the dissociation curve of N2 and the potential energy curves for the first three singlet states of C2. Special attention is paid to the issue of energy discontinuities caused by changes in the size of the Λ-CI wave function along the potential energy curve. This problem is shown to be solvable by smoothing the matrix elements of the Hamiltonian. Our last example, involving the Cu2O2(2+) core, illustrates an alternative use of the Λ-CI method: as a tool to both estimate the multireference character of a wave function and to create a compact model space to be used in subsequent high-level multireference coupled cluster computations.