Non-adiabatic quantum dynamics without potential energy surfaces based on second-quantized electrons: application within the framework of the MCTDH method

Abstract

A first principles quantum formalism to describe the non-adiabatic dynamics of electrons and nuclei based on a second quantization representation (SQR) of the electronic motion combined with the usual representation of the nuclear coordinates is introduced. This procedure circumvents the introduction of potential energy surfaces and non-adiabatic couplings, providing an alternative to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. An important feature of the molecular Hamiltonian in the mixed first quantized representation for the nuclei and the SQR representation for the electrons is that all degrees of freedom, nuclear positions and electronic occupations, are distinguishable. This makes the approach compatible with various tensor decomposition ansätze for the propagation of the nuclear-electronic wavefunction. Here, we describe the application of this formalism within the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) framework and its multilayer generalization, corresponding to Tucker and hierarchical Tucker tensor decompositions of the wavefunction, respectively. The approach is applied to the calculation of the photodissociation cross-section of the HeH + molecule under extreme ultraviolet irradiation, which features non-adiabatic effects and quantum interferences between the two possible fragmentation channels, He+H + and He + +H. These calculations are compared with the usual description based on ab initio potential energy surfaces and non-adiabatic coupling matrix elements, which fully agree. The proof-of-principle calculations serve to illustrate the advantages and drawbacks of this formalism, which are discussed in detail, as well as possible ways to overcome them. We close with an outlook of possible application domains where the formalism might outperform the usual approach, for example in situations that combine a strong static correlation of the electrons with non-adiabatic electronic-nuclear effects.