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The Journal of Chemical Physics

A state interaction spin-orbit coupling density matrix renormalization group method

Elvira R. Sayfutyarova, Garnet Kin‐Lic Chan

Published Jun 15, 2016• 49 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe a state interaction spin-orbit (SISO) coupling method using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) wavefunctions and the spin-orbit mean-field (SOMF) operator. We implement our DMRG-SISO scheme using a spin-adapted algorithm that computes transition density matrices between arbitrary matrix product states. To demonstrate the potential of the DMRG-SISO scheme we present accurate benchmark calculations for the zero-field splitting of the copper and gold atoms, comparing to earlier complete active space self-consistent-field and second-order complete active space perturbation theory results in the same basis. We also compute the effects of spin-orbit coupling on the spin-ladder of the iron-sulfur dimer complex [Fe2S2(SCH3)4](3-), determining the splitting of the lowest quartet and sextet states. We find that the magnitude of the zero-field splitting for the higher quartet and sextet states approaches a significant fraction of the Heisenberg exchange parameter.

DOI
10.1063/1.4953445

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We describe a state interaction spin-orbit (SISO) coupling method using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) wavefunctions and the spin-orbit mean-field (SOMF) operator. We implement our DMRG-SISO scheme using a spin-adapted algorithm that computes transition density matrices between arbitrary matrix product states. To demonstrate the potential of the DMRG-SISO scheme we present accurate benchmark calculations for the zero-field splitting of the copper and gold atoms, comparing to earlier complete active space self-consistent-field and second-order complete active space perturbation theory results in the same basis. We also compute the effects of spin-orbit coupling on the spin-ladder of the iron-sulfur dimer complex Fe2S2(SCH3)4, determining the splitting of the lowest quartet and sextet states. We find that the magnitude of the zero-field splitting for the higher quartet and sextet states approaches a significant fraction of the Heisenberg exchange parameter.
Spin Orbit Coupling (SOC) is introduced to molecular ab initio density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations. In the presented scheme, one first approximates the electronic ground state and a number of excited states of the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) Hamiltonian with the aid of the DMRG algorithm. Owing to the spin-adaptation of the algorithm, the total spin S is a good quantum number for these states. After the non-relativistic DMRG calculation is finished, all magnetic sublevels of the calculated states are constructed explicitly, and the SOC operator is expanded in the resulting basis. To this end, spin orbit coupled energies and wavefunctions are obtained as eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the full Hamiltonian matrix which is composed of the SOC operator matrix and the BO Hamiltonian matrix. This treatment corresponds to a quasi-degenerate perturbation theory approach and can be regarded as the molecular equivalent to atomic Russell-Saunders coupling. For the evaluation of SOC matrix elements, the full Breit-Pauli SOC Hamiltonian is approximated by the widely used spin-orbit mean field operator. This operator allows for an efficient use of the second quantized triplet replacement operators that are readily generated during the non-relativistic DMRG algorithm, together with the Wigner-Eckart theorem. With a set of spin-orbit coupled wavefunctions at hand, the molecular g-tensors are calculated following the scheme proposed by Gerloch and McMeeking. It interprets the effective molecular g-values as the slope of the energy difference between the lowest Kramers pair with respect to the strength of the applied magnetic field. Test calculations on a chemically relevant Mo complex demonstrate the capabilities of the presented method.
We extend the spin-adapted density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm of McCulloch and Gulacsi [Europhys. Lett. 57, 852 (2002)] to quantum chemical Hamiltonians. This involves using a quasi-density matrix, to ensure that the renormalized DMRG states are eigenfunctions of Ŝ(2), and the Wigner-Eckart theorem, to reduce overall storage and computational costs. We argue that the spin-adapted DMRG algorithm is most advantageous for low spin states. Consequently, we also implement a singlet-embedding strategy due to Tatsuaki [Phys. Rev. E 61, 3199 (2000)] where we target high spin states as a component of a larger fictitious singlet system. Finally, we present an efficient algorithm to calculate one- and two-body reduced density matrices from the spin-adapted wavefunctions. We evaluate our developments with benchmark calculations on transition metal system active space models. These include the Fe(2)S(2), [Fe(2)S(2)(SCH(3))(4)](2-), and Cr(2) systems. In the case of Fe(2)S(2), the spin-ladder spacing is on the microHartree scale, and here we show that we can target such very closely spaced states. In [Fe(2)S(2)(SCH(3))(4)](2-), we calculate particle and spin correlation functions, to examine the role of sulfur bridging orbitals in the electronic structure. In Cr(2) we demonstrate that spin-adaptation with the Wigner-Eckart theorem and using singlet embedding can yield up to an order of magnitude increase in computational efficiency. Overall, these calculations demonstrate the potential of using spin-adaptation to extend the range of DMRG calculations in complex transition metal problems.
We present the density matrix renormalization group self-consistent field (DMRG-SCF) approach that is analogous to the complete active space self-consisted field (CASSCF) method but instead of using for the description of the active space the full configuration interaction (FCI) method, the DMRG-SCF uses the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method. The DMRG-SCF approach, similarly to CASSCF, properly describes the multiconfigurational character of the wave function but avoids the exponential scaling of the FCI method and replaces it with a polynomial scaling. Hence, calculations for a larger number of orbitals and electrons in the active space are possible since the DMRG method provides an efficient tool to automatically select from the full Hilbert space the many-body contracted basis states that are the most important for the description of the wave function.
The applicability of ab initio multireference wavefunction-based methods to the study of magnetic complexes has been restricted by the quickly rising active-space requirements of oligonuclear systems and dinuclear complexes with S > 1 spin centers. Ab initio density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) methods built upon an efficient parameterization of the correlation network enable the use of much larger active spaces, and therefore may offer a way forward. Here, we apply DMRG-CASSCF to the dinuclear complexes [Fe2OCl6](2-) and [Cr2O(NH3)10](4+). After developing the methodology through systematic basis set and DMRG M testing, we explore the effects of extended active spaces that are beyond the limit of conventional methods. We find that DMRG-CASSCF with active spaces including the metal d orbitals, occupied bridging-ligand orbitals, and their virtual double shells already capture a major portion of the dynamic correlation effects, accurately reproducing the experimental magnetic coupling constant (J) of [Fe2OCl6](2-) with (16e,26o), and considerably improving the smaller active space results for [Cr2O(NH3)10](4+) with (12e,32o). For comparison, we perform conventional MRCI+Q calculations and find the J values to be consistent with those from DMRG-CASSCF. In contrast to previous studies, the higher spin states of the two systems show similar deviations from the Heisenberg spectrum, regardless of the computational method.
This paper describes an interface between the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method and the complete active-space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method and its analytical gradient, as well as an extension to the second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) method. This interfacing allows large active-space multi-reference computations to be easily performed. The interface and its extension are both implemented in terms of reduced density matrices (RDMs) which can be efficiently computed via the DMRG sweep algorithm. We also present benchmark results showing that, in practice, the DMRG-CASSCF calculations scale with active-space size in a polynomial manner in the case of quasi-1D systems. Geometry optimization of a binuclear iron-sulfur cluster using the DMRG-CASSCF analytical gradient is demonstrated, indicating that the inclusion of the valence p-orbitals of sulfur and double-shell d-orbitals of iron lead to non-negligible changes in the geometry compared to the results of small active-space calculations. With the exception of the selection of M values, many computational settings in these practical DMRG calculations have been tuned and black-boxed in our interface, and so the resulting DMRG-CASSCF and DMRG-CASPT2 calculations are now available to novice users as a common tool to compute strongly correlated electronic wavefunctions.
The accurate characterization of complex electronic structures in single-molecule magnets (SMMs) is crucial for guiding their rational design. However, conventional multireference wavefunction theory faces significant computational bottlenecks for these systems, stemming from their intricate ligand environments and the necessity for large active spaces to capture strong electron correlation. To overcome these limitations, we introduce an efficient quantum embedding framework that synergistically combines density matrix embedding theory with ab initio density matrix renormalization group Relativistic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect is incorporated through a state-interaction procedure using the eXact two-component atomic mean-field spin-orbit (X2CAMF-SO) operator. Benchmarking on representative single-ion magnets confirms that our DMET-embedded DMRG-SI approach delivers results highly consistent with all-electron calculations, while offering a clear path for systematic improvement via active space expansion. Furthermore, by investigating SOC effects in a chromium dimer, we demonstrate the method's potential for high-accuracy and scalable ab initio studies of larger-sized polynuclear SMMs.