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New Journal of Physics

Optimal control of interacting particles: a multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree–Fock approach

Michael D. Mundt, David J. Tannor

Published Oct 30, 2009• 33 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We combine optimal control theory with the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree–Fock method to control the dynamics of interacting particles. We use the resulting scheme to optimize state-to-state transitions in a one-dimensional (1D) model of helium and to entangle the external degrees-of-freedom of two rubidium atoms in a 1D optical lattice. Comparisons with optimization results based on the exact solution of the Schrödinger equation show that the scheme can be used to optimize even involved processes in systems consisting of interacting particles in a reliable and efficient way.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/11/10/105038

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We combine optimal control theory with the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree–Fock method to control the dynamics of interacting particles. We use the resulting scheme to optimize state-to-state transitions in a one-dimensional (1D) model of helium and to entangle the external degrees-of-freedom of two rubidium atoms in a 1D optical lattice. Comparisons with optimization results based on the exact solution of the Schrödinger equation show that the scheme can be used to optimize even involved processes in systems consisting of interacting particles in a reliable and efficient way.
A multi-layer multi-configurational time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) approach using a second quantization representation (SQR) based on optimized time-dependent orbitals is introduced. The approach combines elements of the multi-layer MCTDH-SQR approach of Wang and Thoss, which employs a preselected time-independent orbital basis, and the MCTDH for bosons and multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree-Fock approaches, which do not use multi-layering but employ time-dependent orbital bases. In contrast to existing MCTDH-type approaches, the results of the present approach for a given number of configurations are not invariant with respect to unitary transformations of the time-dependent orbital basis. Thus a natural orbital representation is chosen to achieve fast convergence with respect to the number of configurations employed. Equations of motion for the present ansatz, called (multi-layer) MCTDH in optimized second quantization representation, are derived. Furthermore, a scheme for the calculation of optimized unoccupied single-particle functions is given which can be used to avoid singularities in the equations of motion.
The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is solved with a multiconfiguration form for the state. It is shown that the use of natural single-particle states results in a minimal number of configurations. The equations of motion of the natural single-particle states are derived by differentation with respect to time of the defining equations, which are eigenvalue equations of reduced density matrices. The method is tested on a two-dimensional model of H2 dissociation on a transition metal surface. It is shown that numerically exact solutions can be obtained. Computation times and memory requirements are less than for methods that solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation directly.
Accurate descriptions of many-particle quantum systems subject to laser interactions can be found using real-time ab initio methods. Of these the arguably most popular and exact is the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree-Fock (MCTDHF) method. However, MCTDHF suffers from computational limitations in that it quickly becomes too time consuming. The orbital-adaptive time-dependent coupled-cluster (OATDCC) method represents a hierarchy of approximations to MCTDHF that are less computationally expensive while retaining as much accuracy as possible. Building on an existing codebase we have in this thesis generalized the OATDCC method to include Q-space orbital equations. A novel ground state solver is implemented, employing adiabatic switching, since imaginary time propagation is not feasible "out of the box". Furthermore, we implement a sinc-discrete variable representation basis for one-dimensional model systems. We demonstrate that ionization and high-harmonic processes can be described using the OATDCCD method. Comparison with the more accurate, yet more expensive, multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree-Fock method indicates that the OATDCCD method is an excellent approximation.
We discuss analytical and numerical properties of the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree-Fock method for the approximate solution of the time-dependent multi-particle (electronic) Schrödinger equation which are relevant for an efficient implementation of this model reduction technique. Particularly, we focus on a discretization and low rank approximation in the evaluation of the meanfield terms occurring in the MCTDHF equations of motion, which is crucial for the computational tractability of the problem. We give error bounds for this approximation and demonstrate the achieved gain in performance.
In this Colloquium, the wavefunction-based Multiconfigurational Time-Dependent Hartree approaches to the dynamics of indistinguishable particles (MCTDH-F for Fermions and MCTDH-B for Bosons) are reviewed. MCTDH-B and MCTDH-F or, together, MCTDH-X are methods for describing correlated quantum systems of identical particles by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation from first principles. MCTDH-X is used to accurately model the dynamics of real-world quantum many-body systems in atomic, molecular, and optical physics. The key feature of these approaches is the time-dependence and optimization of the single-particle states employed for the construction of a many-body basis set, which yields nonlinear working equations. We briefly describe the historical developments that have lead to the formulation of the MCTDH-X methods and motivate the necessity for wavefunction-based approaches. We sketch the derivation of the unified MCTDH-F and MCTDH-B equations of motion for complete and also specific restricted configuration spaces. The strengths and limitations of the MCTDH-X approach are assessed via benchmarks against an exactly solvable model and via convergence checks. We highlight some applications to instructive and experimentally-realized quantum many-body systems: the dynamics of atoms in Bose-Einstein condensates in magneto-optical and optical traps and of electrons in atoms and molecules. We discuss the current development and frontiers in the field of MCTDH-X: theories and numerical methods for indistinguishable particles, for mixtures of multiple species of indistinguishable particles, the inclusion of nuclear motion for the nonadia-batic dynamics of atomic and molecular systems, the so-called multilayer generalizations to the MCTDH-F and MCTDH-B methods, and the time-dependent orbital-adaptive coupled cluster theory are discussed.