Optical potentials for electron-molecule scattering: A comparative study on the N2 2 Pi g resonance

Recent Advances in the Study of Negative-Ion Resonances Using Multiconfigurational Propagator and a Complex Absorbing Potential

The transient resonances are a challenge to bound state quantum mechanics. These states lie in the continuum part of the spectrum of the Hamiltonian. For this, one has to treat a continuum problem due to electron-molecule scattering and the many-electron correlation problem simultaneously. Moreover, the description of a resonance requires a wavefunction that bridges the part that resembles a bound state with another that resembles a continuum state such that the continuity of the wavefunction and its first derivative with respect to the distance between the incoming projectile and the target is maintained. A review of the recent advances in the theoretical investigation of the negative-ion resonances (NIR) is presented. The NIRs are ubiquitous in nature. They result from the scattering of electrons off of an atomic or molecular target. They are important for numerous chemical processes in upper atmosphere, space and even biological systems. A contextual background of the existing theoretical methods as well as the newly-developed multiconfigurational propagator tools based on a complex absorbing potential are discussed.

Investigation of negative-ion resonances using a subspace-projected multiconfigurational electron propagator perturbed with a complex absorbing potential

The transient negative-ion resonances found in scattering experiments are important intermediates in many chemical processes. These metastable states correspond to the continuum part of the Hamiltonian of the projectile-target composite system. Usual bound-state electronic structure methods are not applicable for these. In this work, we develop a subspace-projection method in connection with an electron propagator (EP) defined in terms of a complete-active-space self-consistent-field initial state. The target Hamiltonian (Ĥ) is perturbed by a complex absorbing potential (CAP) for the analytical continuation of the spectrum of Ĥ to complex eigenvalues associated with the continuum states. The resonance is identified as a pole of the EP, which is stable with respect to variations in the strength of the CAP. The projection into a small subspace reduces the size of the complex matrices to be diagonalized, minimizes the computational cost, and affords some insight into the orbitals that are likely to play some role in the capture of the projectile. Two molecular (Πg2N₂ ^- and ²Π CO^-) and an atomic shaperesonance (²P Be^-) are investigated using this method. The position and width of the resonances are in good agreement with the previously reported values.

Projected Complex Absorbing Potential Multireference Configuration Interaction Approach for Shape and Feshbach Resonances

Anion resonances are formed as metastable intermediates in low-energy electron-induced reactions. Due to the finite lifetimes of resonances, applying standard Hermitian formalism for their characterization presents a vexing problem for computational chemists. Numerous modifications to conventional quantum chemical methods have enabled satisfactory characterization of resonances, but specific issues remain, especially in describing two-particle one-hole (2p-1h) resonances. An accurate description of these resonances and their coupling with single-particle resonances requires a multireference approach. We propose a projected complex absorbing potential (CAP) implementation within the multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) framework to characterize single-particle and 2p-1h resonances. As a first application, we use the projected-CAP-MRCI approach to characterize and benchmark the ²Π_g shape resonance in N₂^-. We test its performance as a function of the size of the subspace and other parameters, and we compute the complex potential energy surface of the ²Π_g shape resonance to show that a smooth curve is obtained. One key benefit of MRCI is that it can describe Feshbach resonances (most common examples of 2p-1h resonances) at the same footing as shape resonances. Therefore, it is uniquely positioned to describe mixing between the different channels. To test these additional capabilities, we compute Feshbach resonances in H₂O^- and anions of dicyanoethylene isomers. We find that CAP-MRCI can efficiently capture the mixing between the Feshbach and shape resonances in dicyanoethylene isomers, which has significant consequences for their lifetimes.

Calculating the Lifetimes of Metastable States with Complex Density Functional Theory

Among other applications, complex absorbing potentials (CAPs) have proven to be useful tools in the theory of metastable states. They facilitate the conversion of unbound states of a finite lifetime into normalized bound states with a complex energy. Adding CAPs to a conventional Hamiltonian turns it into a non-Hermitian operator. Recently, we introduced a complex density functional theory (CODFT) that extends the Kohn-Sham method to the realm of non-Hermitian systems. Here, we combine CAPs with CODFT and present the first application of CODFT to metastable systems. In particular, we consider the negative ions of the beryllium atom and the nitrogen molecule. Using conventional exchange-correlation functionals as functionals of a complex density, the resonance positions and the resonance lifetimes are obtained, and they are in line with the findings of other studies.

Correlated complex independent particle potential for calculating electronic resonances

We have formulated and applied an analytic continuation method for the recently formulated correlated independent particle potential [A. Beste and R. J. Bartlett J. Chem. Phys. 120, 8395 (2004)] derived from Fock space multireference coupled cluster theory. The technique developed is an advanced ab initio tool for calculating the properties of resonances in the low-energy electron-molecule collision problem. The proposed method quantitatively describes elastic electron-molecule scattering below the first electronically inelastic threshold. A complex absorbing potential is utilized to define the analytic continuation for the potential. A separate treatment of electron correlation and relaxation effects for the projectile-target system and the analytic continuation using the complex absorbing potential is possible, when an approximated form of the correlated complex independent particle potential is used. The method, which is referred to as complex absorbing potential-based correlated independent particle (CAP-CIP), is tested by application to the well-known (2)Pi(g) shape resonance of e-N(2) and the (2)B(2g) shape resonance of e-C(2)H(4) (ethylene) with highly satisfactory results.

Analytically continued Fock space multireference coupled-cluster theory: Application to the Πg2 shape resonance in e-N2 scattering

The technique of Fock space multireference coupled-cluster (FSMRCC) is applied for the first time to the correlated calculation of the energy and width of a shape resonance in an electron-molecule collision. The procedure is based upon combining a complex absorbing potential with FSMRCC theory. Accurate resonance parameters are obtained by solving a small non-Hermitian eigenvalue problem. The potential-energy curve of the (2)Pi(g) state of N2- is calculated using the FSMRCC and multireference configuration-interaction (MRCI) level of theories. Comparison with the single-determinant Hartree-Fock theory indicates that correlation effects are important in determining the behavior of the resonance state.