Force-free identification of minimum-energy pathways and transition states for stochastic electronic structure theories

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Iyer, Gopal R., Whelpley, Noah, Tiihonen, Juha, Kent, Paul R. C., Krogel, Jaron T., Rubenstein, Brenda M.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Iyer, Gopal R.
Whelpley, Noah
Tiihonen, Juha
Kent, Paul R. C.
Krogel, Jaron T.
Rubenstein, Brenda M.
author_facet Iyer, Gopal R.
Whelpley, Noah
Tiihonen, Juha
Kent, Paul R. C.
Krogel, Jaron T.
Rubenstein, Brenda M.
contents Stochastic electronic structure theories, e.g., Quantum Monte Carlo methods, enable highly accurate total energy calculations which in principle can be used to construct highly accurate potential energy surfaces. However, their stochastic nature poses a challenge to the computation and use of forces and Hessians, which are typically required in algorithms for minimum-energy pathway (MEP) and transition state (TS) identification, such as the nudged-elastic band (NEB) algorithm and its climbing image formulation. Here, we present strategies that utilize the surrogate Hessian line-search method - previously developed for QMC structural optimization - to efficiently identify MEP and TS structures without requiring force calculations at the level of the stochastic electronic structure theory. By modifying the surrogate Hessian algorithm to operate in path-orthogonal subspaces and on saddle points, we show that it is possible to identify MEPs and TSs using a force-free QMC approach. We demonstrate these strategies via two examples, the inversion of the ammonia molecule and an SN2 reaction. We validate our results using Density Functional Theory- and coupled cluster-based NEB calculations. We then introduce a hybrid DFT-QMC approach to compute thermodynamic and kinetic quantities - free energy differences, rate constants, and equilibrium constants - that incorporates stochastically-optimized structures and their energies, and show that this scheme improves upon DFT accuracy. Our methods generalize straightforwardly to other systems and other high-accuracy theories that similarly face challenges computing energy gradients, paving the way for highly accurate PES mapping, transition state determination, and thermodynamic and kinetic calculations, at significantly reduced computational expense.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2402_13189
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Force-free identification of minimum-energy pathways and transition states for stochastic electronic structure theories
Iyer, Gopal R.
Whelpley, Noah
Tiihonen, Juha
Kent, Paul R. C.
Krogel, Jaron T.
Rubenstein, Brenda M.
Chemical Physics
Quantum Physics
Stochastic electronic structure theories, e.g., Quantum Monte Carlo methods, enable highly accurate total energy calculations which in principle can be used to construct highly accurate potential energy surfaces. However, their stochastic nature poses a challenge to the computation and use of forces and Hessians, which are typically required in algorithms for minimum-energy pathway (MEP) and transition state (TS) identification, such as the nudged-elastic band (NEB) algorithm and its climbing image formulation. Here, we present strategies that utilize the surrogate Hessian line-search method - previously developed for QMC structural optimization - to efficiently identify MEP and TS structures without requiring force calculations at the level of the stochastic electronic structure theory. By modifying the surrogate Hessian algorithm to operate in path-orthogonal subspaces and on saddle points, we show that it is possible to identify MEPs and TSs using a force-free QMC approach. We demonstrate these strategies via two examples, the inversion of the ammonia molecule and an SN2 reaction. We validate our results using Density Functional Theory- and coupled cluster-based NEB calculations. We then introduce a hybrid DFT-QMC approach to compute thermodynamic and kinetic quantities - free energy differences, rate constants, and equilibrium constants - that incorporates stochastically-optimized structures and their energies, and show that this scheme improves upon DFT accuracy. Our methods generalize straightforwardly to other systems and other high-accuracy theories that similarly face challenges computing energy gradients, paving the way for highly accurate PES mapping, transition state determination, and thermodynamic and kinetic calculations, at significantly reduced computational expense.
title Force-free identification of minimum-energy pathways and transition states for stochastic electronic structure theories
topic Chemical Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.13189