A brief introduction to the Monte Carlo methods and the most common types of Quantum Monte Carlo, Variational Monte Carlo and Diffusion Monte Carlo are presented. The fermion sign problem in Diffusion Monte Carlo is outlined and a way of bypassing the fixed-node approximation is discussed.
Introduction In Chapters 1 to 4 we studied methods for solving the Schrödinger equation for many-electron systems. Many of the techniques described there carry over to other quantum many-particle systems, such as liquid helium, and the protons and neutrons in a nucleus. The techniques which we discussed there were, however, all of a mean-field type and therefore correlation effects could not be taken into account without introducing approximations. In this chapter, we consider more accurate techniques, which are similar to those studied in Chapter 10 and are based on using (pseudo-)random numbers – hence the name ‘Monte Carlo’ for these methods. In Chapter 10 we applied Monte Carlo techniques to classical many-particle systems; here we use these techniques for studying quantum problems involving many particles. In the next section we shall see how we can apply Monte Carlo techniques to the problem of calculating the quantum mechanical expectation value of the ground state energy. This is used in order to optimise this expectation value by adjusting a trial wave function in a variational type of approach, hence the name variational Monte Carlo (VMC). In the following section we use the similarity between the Schrödinger equation and the diffusion equation in order to calculate the properties of a collection of interacting quantum mechanical particles by simulating a classical particle diffusion process. The resulting method is called diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC).
Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods represent a powerful family of computational techniques for tackling complex quantum many-body problems and performing calculations of stationary state properties. QMC is among the most accurate and powerful approaches to the study of electronic structure, but its application is often hindered by a steep learning curve; hence it is rarely addressed in undergraduate and postgraduate classes. This tutorial is a step toward filling this gap. We offer an introduction to the diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) method, which aims to solve the imaginary time Schrödinger equation through stochastic sampling of the configuration space. Starting from the theoretical foundations, the discussion leads naturally to the formulation of a step-by-step algorithm. To illustrate how the method works in simplified scenarios, examples such as the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom are provided. The discussion extends to the fixed-node approximation, a crucial approach for addressing the fermionic sign problem in multi-electron systems. In particular, we examine the influence of trial wave function nodal surfaces on the accuracy of DMC energy by evaluating results from a non-interacting two-fermion system. Extending the method to excited states is feasible in principle, but some additional considerations are needed, supported by practical insights. By addressing the fundamental concepts from a hands-on perspective, we hope this tutorial will serve as a valuable guide for researchers and students approaching DMC for the first time.
We give a brief discussion of the recently developed Constrained-Path Monte Carlo Method. This method is a quantum Monte Carlo technique that eliminates the fermion sign problem plaguing simulations of systems of interacting electrons. The elimination is accomplished by trading an exact procedure for an approximate one that has been demonstrated to give very accurate estimates of energies and manybody correlation functions. We also give a short review of its applications, a discussion of several strategies for parallelizing it, and some speculation of its future extensions. 1
Featuring detailed explanations of the major algorithms used in quantum Monte Carlo simulations, this is the first textbook of its kind to provide a pedagogical overview of the field and its applications. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the Monte Carlo method, its use, and its foundations, and examines algorithms for the simulation of quantum many-body lattice problems at finite and zero temperature. These algorithms include continuous-time loop and cluster algorithms for quantum spins, determinant methods for simulating fermions, power methods for computing ground and excited states, and the variational Monte Carlo method. Also discussed are continuous-time algorithms for quantum impurity models and their use within dynamical mean-field theory, along with algorithms for analytically continuing imaginary-time quantum Monte Carlo data. The parallelization of Monte Carlo simulations is also addressed. This is an essential resource for graduate students, teachers, and researchers interested in quantum Monte Carlo techniques.
Featuring detailed explanations of the major algorithms used in quantum Monte Carlo simulations, this is the first textbook of its kind to provide a pedagogical overview of the field and its applications. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the Monte Carlo method, its use, and its foundations, and examines algorithms for the simulation of quantum many-body lattice problems at finite and zero temperature. These algorithms include continuous-time loop and cluster algorithms for quantum spins, determinant methods for simulating fermions, power methods for computing ground and excited states, and the variational Monte Carlo method. Also discussed are continuous-time algorithms for quantum impurity models and their use within dynamical mean-field theory, along with algorithms for analytically continuing imaginary-time quantum Monte Carlo data. The parallelization of Monte Carlo simulations is also addressed. This is an essential resource for graduate students, teachers, and researchers interested in quantum Monte Carlo techniques.
The Quantum Transfer Matrix and Its Application to Quantum Spin Chains (K Kubo) Transfer Matrices in Quantum Many-Body Systems (T Koma) Monte Carlo Calculations of Elementary Excitation (M Takahashi) The Decoupled Cell Method of Quantum Monte Carlo Calculation (S Homma) Decoupled Cell Monte Carlo Study of the Critical Properties of the Spin-1/2 Ferromagnetic Heisenberg Model in Three Dimensions (R J Creswick & C J Sisson) Variational Monte Carlo Studies of Correlated Electrons (H Shiba) Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation of Multiband Fermion Systems and Its Application to Superconductivity (K Kuroki & H Aoki) Quantum Monte Carlo in the Infinite Dimensional Limit (M Jarrell et al) Aspects of the Sign Problem (J H Samson) Ground-State Projection Using Auxiliary Fields (S Fahy) Fermion Simulations of Correlated Systems (M Imada) Dirty Bosons in 2D: Phases and Phase Transitions (N Trivedi & M Makivi'c). (Part Contents).