First-principles semiclassical initial value representation molecular dynamics

Abstract

In this work, we explore the use of the semiclassical initial value representation (SC-IVR) method with first-principles electronic structure approaches to carry out classical molecular dynamics. The proposed approach can extract the vibrational power spectrum of carbon dioxide from a single trajectory providing numerical results that agree with experiment and quantum calculations. The computational demands of the method are comparable to those of classical single-trajectory calculations, while describing uniquely quantum features such as the zero-point energy and Fermi resonances. The method can also be used to identify symmetry properties of given vibrational peaks and investigate vibrational couplings by selected classical trajectories. The accuracy of the method degrades for the reproduction of anharmonic shifts for high-energy vibrational levels.