The fixed-node Monte Carlo method is extended to lattice fermion models. This method replaces the problem of finding the ground state of a many-fermion system by an effective eigenvalue problem of finding the lowest-energy wave function in a given region of the configuration space. It has previously only been applied to fermions moving in continuous space. The discreteness of the configuration space causes the algorithm to differ from that of the continuum. The method is tested against a known limiting case where exact results are available for comparison. Good agreement is found. Using the fixed-node Monte Carlo method, we study the domain-wall phase in the ground state of the two-dimensional Hubbard model. The existence of a domain-wall phase which has domains of antiferromagnetic phases separated by walls of holes is recently suggested by inhomogeneous Hartree-Fock (HF) and variational Monte Carlo (VMC) calculations. Large improvements of the energies are found. The domain walls are broader than those obtained by the HF and VMC calculations.
The fixed-node Monte Carlo method is extended to lattice fermion models. This method replaces the problem of finding the ground state of a many-fermion system by an effective eigenvalue problem of finding the lowest-energy wave function in a given region of the configuration space. It has previously only been applied to fermions moving in continuous space. The discreteness of the configuration space causes the algorithm to differ from that of the continuum. The method is tested against a known limiting case where exact results are available for comparison. Good agreement is found. Using the fixed-node Monte Carlo method, we study the domain-wall phase in the ground state of the two-dimensional Hubbard model. The existence of a domain-wall phase which has domains of antiferromagnetic phases separated by walls of holes is recently suggested by inhomogeneous Hartree-Fock (HF) and variational Monte Carlo (VMC) calculations. Large improvements of the energies are found. The domain walls are broader than those obtained by the HF and VMC calculations.
Abstract This study extended the fixed-node QMC method to a lattice model for hopping fermions using Green’s function techniques. In general, the modifications of the procedures for continuous systems to adapt them to a lattice system were minor, and there appeared to be no surprises. Applications were made to the two-dimensional Hubbard model with different on-site interactions, lattice dimensions, boundary conditions, node specifications, and trial wavefunctions for importance sampling. Results were compared with those of Hartree-Fock and variational QMC calculations. For the HF calculations with zero interaction, the exact solutions are known, and the Green’s function QMC results agreed with those within statistical error. Trial wavefunctions specifying the nodes were obtained directly as those of HF determinantal solutions for zero interaction, or as variationally optimized determinantal functions with correlation terms. The procedure for fixed nodes was to eliminate walkers crossing the boundaries of a nodal region, a procedure not quite correct, but probably a reasonable approximation. The results in all cases were consistent with the HF and variational QMC calculations, giving lower energies than either for nonzero interaction energies. The existence of a domain-wall phase suggested by the HF and variational QMC results was confirmed by the fixed-node Green’s function results. It was noted that the fixed-node method would be applicable to systems other than the Hubbard model.
We use a variational Monte Carlo technique to study the ground state of the two-dimensional Hubbard model on a square lattice. We study the stability of the usual commensurate antiferromagnetic phase against the formation of domain walls for various system sizes, band filling, and Hubbard repulsion. An instability towards diagonal domain walls is found for the values of the Hubbard repulsion studied (U=4-10t). We compute the condensation energy of the holes in walls. Such an incommensurate antiferromagnetic phase is much stabler than any other solution. Whether paramagnetic or purely superconducting, but superconductivity is found still to coexist with incommensurate antiferromagnetism. We carefully compare our results with those of the Hartree-Fock model and shed some light on the limitations of the Hartree-Fock solutions.
Fixed-node Green's-function Monte Carlo calculations have been performed for very large 16\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}16 two-dimensional Hubbard lattices, large interaction strengths U=10,20, and 40, and many $(15\ensuremath{\sim}20)$ densities between empty and half-filling. The nodes were fixed by a simple Slater-Gutzwiller trial wave function. For each value of U we obtained a sequence of ground-state energies which is consistent with the possibility of a phase separation close to half-filling, with a hole density in the hole-rich phase which is a decreasing function of U. The energies suffer, however, from a fixed-node bias: more accurate nodes are needed to confirm this picture. Our extensive numerical results and their test against size, shell, shape, and boundary-condition effects also suggest that phase separation is quite a delicate issue, on which simulations based on smaller lattices than considered here are unlikely to give reliable predictions.
We give a new prescription for performing random walks in configuration space for lattice fermion problems. Imposing a suitable condition for the wave function on nodal boundaries in configuration space enables us to devise a generalization of the fixed-node quantum Monte Carlo method, as it has been developed for continuum problems. It does not suffer from the sign problem and provides upper bounds for the energy of different candidates for the ground state. We present new results for the Hubbard model off half filling as a demonstration of the method.
Fixed-node Green's-function Monte Carlo calculations have been performed for very large 16x16 two-dimensional Hubbard lattices, large interaction strengths U=10,20, and 40, and many (15 similar to 20) densities between empty and half-filling. The nodes were fixed by a simple Slater-Gutzwiller trial wave function. For each value of U we obtained a sequence of ground-state energies which is consistent with the possibility of a phase separation close to half-filling, with a hole density in the hole-rich phase which is a decreasing function of U. The energies suffer, however, from a fixed-node bias: more accurate nodes are needed to confirm this picture. Our extensive numerical results and their test against size, shell, shape, and boundary-condition effects also suggest that phase separation is quite a delicate issue, on which simulations based on smaller lattices than considered here are unlikely to give reliable predictions. RI Capone, Massimo/A-7762-2008; Guidoni, Leonardo/G-3759-2011
Numerical results for ground-state and excited-state properties (energies, double occupancies, and Matsubara-axis self-energies) of the single-orbital Hubbard model on a two-dimensional square lattice are presented, in order to provide an assessment of our ability to compute accurate results in the thermodynamic limit. Many methods are employed, including auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo, bare and bold-line diagrammatic Monte Carlo, method of dual fermions, density matrix embedding theory, density matrix renormalization group, dynamical cluster approximation, diffusion Monte Carlo within a fixed-node approximation, unrestricted coupled cluster theory, and multireference projected Hartree-Fock methods. Comparison of results obtained by different methods allows for the identification of uncertainties and systematic errors. The importance of extrapolation to converged thermodynamic-limit values is emphasized. Cases where agreement between different methods is obtained establish benchmark results that may be useful in the validation of new approaches and the improvement of existing methods.