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A new scheme for fixed node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo with pseudopotentials: Improving reproducibility and reducing the trial-wave-function bias

Zen, A; Brandenburg, JG; Michaelides, A; Alfè, D; (2019) A new scheme for fixed node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo with pseudopotentials: Improving reproducibility and reducing the trial-wave-function bias. The Journal of Chemical Physics , 151 (13) , Article 134105. 10.1063/1.5119729. Green open access

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Abstract

Fixed node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (FN-DMC) is an increasingly used computational approach for investigating the electronic structure of molecules, solids, and surfaces with controllable accuracy. It stands out among equally accurate electronic structure approaches for its favorable cubic scaling with system size, which often makes FN-DMC the only computationally affordable high-quality method in large condensed phase systems with more than 100 atoms. In such systems, FN-DMC deploys pseudopotentials (PPs) to substantially improve efficiency. In order to deal with nonlocal terms of PPs, the FN-DMC algorithm must use an additional approximation, leading to the so-called localization error. However, the two available approximations, the locality approximation (LA) and the T-move approximation (TM), have certain disadvantages and can make DMC calculations difficult to reproduce. Here, we introduce a third approach, called the determinant localization approximation (DLA). DLA eliminates reproducibility issues and systematically provides good quality results and stable simulations that are slightly more efficient than LA and TM. When calculating energy differences—such as interaction and ionization energies—DLA is also more accurate than the LA and TM approaches. We believe that DLA paves the way to the automation of FN-DMC and its much easier application in large systems.

Type: Article
Title: A new scheme for fixed node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo with pseudopotentials: Improving reproducibility and reducing the trial-wave-function bias
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1063/1.5119729
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5119729
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10083328
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