Coupled Cluster Singles, Doubles, And Triples Research Articles

Cluster perturbation theory. VI. Ground-state energy series using the Lagrangian.

We have extended cluster perturbation (CP) theory to comprehend the Lagrangian framework of coupled cluster (CC) theory and derived the CP Lagrangian energy series (LCP) where the 2n + 1/2n + 2 rules for the cluster amplitudes and multipliers are used to get the energy corrections. We have also developed the variational CP (LCP) series, where the total cluster amplitudes and multipliers are determined through the same orders as in the LCP series, but the energy is obtained by inserting the total cluster amplitudes and multipliers in the Lagrangian. The energies of the LCP series have errors that are bilinear in the errors of the total cluster amplitudes and multipliers. Test calculations have been performed for S(D) and SD(T) orbital excitation spaces. With the exception of molecular systems that have a low lying doubly excited state compared to the electronic ground state configuration, we find that the fourth order models LCPS (D-4), LCPSD (T-4), and LCPSD(T-4) give energies of CC target state quality. For the LCPS (D-4) model, CC target state quality is obtained as the LCPS (D-4) calculation determines more than 99.7% of the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) correlation energy as the numerical deviations of the LCPS (D-4) energy from the CCSD energy were more than an order of magnitude smaller than the triples correlation contribution. For the LCPSD (T-4) and LCPSD(T-4) models, CC target state quality was obtained, given that the LCPSD (T-4) and LCPSD(T-4) calculations recover more than 99% of the coupled cluster singles doubles and triples (CCSDT) correlation contribution and as the numerical deviations of the LCPSD (T-4) and LCPSD(T-4) energies from the CCSDT energy were nearly and order of magnitude smaller than the quadruples correlation contribution. We, thus, suggest that the fourth order models may replace the full target CC models with no or very limited loss of accuracy.

Importance of Triples Contributions to NMR Spin-Spin Coupling Constants Computed at the CC3 and CCSDT Levels.

We present the first analytical implementation of CC3 second derivatives using the spin-unrestricted approach. This allows, for the first time, the calculation of nuclear spin-spin coupling constants (SSCC) relevant to NMR spectroscopy at the CC3 level of theory in a fully analytical manner. CC3 results for the SSCCs of a number of small molecules and their fluorine substituted derivatives are compared with the corresponding coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) results obtained using specialized basis sets. For one-bond couplings the change when going from CCSD to CC3 is typically 1-3%, but much higher corrections were found for 1JCN in FCN, 15.7%, and 1JOF in OF2, 6.4%. The changes vary significantly in the case of multibond couplings, with differences of up to 10%, and even 13.6% for 3JFH in fluoroacetylene. Calculations at the coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) level indicate that the most important contributions arising from connected triple excitations in the coupled cluster expansion are accounted for at the CC3 level. Thus, we believe that the CC3 method will become the standard approach for the calculation of reference values of nuclear spin-spin coupling constants.

Assessment of the accuracy of coupled cluster perturbation theory for open-shell systems. I. Triples expansions.

The accuracy at which total energies of open-shell atoms and organic radicals may be calculated is assessed for selected coupled cluster perturbative triples expansions, all of which augment the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) energy by a non-iterative correction for the effect of triple excitations. Namely, the second- through sixth-order models of the recently proposed CCSD(T-n) triples series [J. J. Eriksen et al., J. Chem. Phys. 140, 064108 (2014)] are compared to the acclaimed CCSD(T) model for both unrestricted as well as restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock (UHF/ROHF) reference determinants. By comparing UHF- and ROHF-based statistical results for a test set of 18 modest-sized open-shell species with comparable RHF-based results, no behavioral differences are observed for the higher-order models of the CCSD(T-n) series in their correlated descriptions of closed- and open-shell species. In particular, we find that the convergence rate throughout the series towards the coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) solution is identical for the two cases. For the CCSD(T) model, on the other hand, not only its numerical consistency, but also its established, yet fortuitous cancellation of errors breaks down in the transition from closed- to open-shell systems. The higher-order CCSD(T-n) models (orders n > 3) thus offer a consistent and significant improvement in accuracy relative to CCSDT over the CCSD(T) model, equally for RHF, UHF, and ROHF reference determinants, albeit at an increased computational cost.

Communication: The performance of non-iterative coupled cluster quadruples models.

We compare the numerical performance of various non-iterative coupled cluster (CC) quadruples models. The results collectively show how approaches that attempt to correct the CC singles and doubles energy for the combined effect of triple and quadruple excitations all fail at recovering the correlation energy of the full CC singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples (CCSDTQ) model to within sufficient accuracy. Such a level of accuracy is only achieved by models that make corrections to the full CC singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) energy for the isolated effect of quadruple excitations of which the CCSDT(Q-3) and CCSDT(Q-4) models of the Lagrangian-based CCSDT(Q-n) perturbation series are found to outperform alternative models that add either of the established [Q] and (Q) corrections to the CCSDT energy.

On the convergence of perturbative coupled cluster triples expansions: error cancellations in the CCSD(T) model and the importance of amplitude relaxation.

Recently, we proposed a novel Lagrangian-based perturbation series-the CCSD(T-n) series-which systematically corrects the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) energy in orders of the Møller-Plesset fluctuation potential for effects due to triple excitations. In the present study, we report numerical results for the CCSD(T-n) series up through fourth order which show the predicted convergence trend throughout the series towards the energy of its target, the coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) model. Since effects due to the relaxation of the CCSD singles and doubles amplitudes enter the CCSD(T-n) series at fourth order (the CCSD(T-4) model), we are able to separate these effects from the total energy correction and thereby emphasize their crucial importance. Furthermore, we illustrate how the ΛCCSD[T]/(T) and CCSD[T]/(T) models, which in slightly different manners augment the CCSD energy by the [T] and (T) corrections rationalized from many-body perturbation theory, may be viewed as approximations to the second-order CCSD(T-2) model. From numerical comparisons with the CCSD(T-n) models, we show that the extraordinary performance of the ΛCCSD[T]/(T) and CCSD[T]/(T) models relies on fortuitous, yet rather consistent, cancellations of errors. As a side product of our investigations, we are led to reconsider the asymmetric ΛCCSD[T] model due to both its rigorous theoretical foundation and its performance, which is shown to be similar to that of the CCSD(T) model for systems at equilibrium geometry and superior to it for distorted systems. In both the calculations at equilibrium and distorted geometries, however, the ΛCCSD[T] and CCSD(T) models are shown to be outperformed by the fourth-order CCSD(T-4) model.

A Lagrangian framework for deriving triples and quadruples corrections to the CCSD energy

Using the coupled cluster Lagrangian technique, we have determined perturbative corrections to the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) energy that converge towards the coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) and coupled cluster singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples (CCSDTQ) energies, considering the CCSD state as the unperturbed reference state and the fluctuation potential as the perturbation. Since the Lagrangian technique is utilized, the energy corrections satisfy Wigner's 2n + 1 rule for the cluster amplitudes and the 2n + 2 rule for the Lagrange multipliers. The energy corrections define the CCSD perturbation series, CCSD(T-n) and CCSD(TQ-n), which are term-wise size extensive to any order in the perturbation. A detailed comparison of the CCSD(TQ-n) series and the CC(2)PT(n) series of Hirata et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 114, 3919 (2001)] has been performed, revealing some deficiencies of the latter related to the target energy of the series and its lack of size extensivity.

The coupled cluster singles, doubles, and a hybrid treatment of connected triples based on the split virtual orbitals

We have proposed a simple strategy for splitting the virtual orbitals with a large basis set into two subgroups (active and inactive) by taking a smaller basis set as an auxiliary basis set. With the split virtual orbitals (SVOs), triple or higher excitations can be partitioned into active and inactive subgroups (according to the number of active virtual orbitals involved), which can be treated with different electron correlation methods. In this work, the coupled cluster (CC) singles, doubles, and a hybrid treatment of connected triples based on the SVO [denoted as SVO-CCSD(T)-h], has been implemented. The present approach has been applied to study the bond breaking potential energy surfaces in three molecules (HF, F(2), and N(2)), and the equilibrium properties in a number of open-shell diatomic molecules. For all systems under study, the SVO-CCSD(T)-h method based on the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) reference is an excellent approximation to the corresponding CCSDT (CC singles, doubles, and triples), and much better than the UHF-based CCSD(T) (CC singles, doubles, and perturbative triples). On the other hand, the SVO-CCSD(T)-h method based on the restricted HF (RHF) reference can also provide considerable improvement over the RHF-based CCSD(T).

A coupled cluster approach with excitations up to six orbital pairs: The formulation and test applications for bond breaking processes

The formalism of the coupled cluster (CC) method with excitations up to six orbital pairs (CC6P) and its illustrative applications are presented. By definition, CC6P includes connected excitations from full singles, doubles, triples, and partial quadruples, pentuples, and hextuples. CC6P and its approximate variants (CC6P-4, CC6P-5, and CC6P-6a) have the similar computational cost as the CC singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT). They have been applied to investigate the potential energy surfaces for bond dissociation processes in four small molecules (F(2), H(2)O, N(2), and F(2)(+)). In comparison with full configuration interaction results, CC6P and its approximate variants are demonstrated to provide very accurate descriptions for the single-bond breaking process in F(2). While for multi-bond breaking processes, these methods provide considerable improvement over CCSDT.

Cost reduction of high-order coupled-cluster methods via active-space and orbital transformation techniques

We discuss several techniques which have the potential to decrease the computational expenses of high-order coupled-cluster (CC) methods with a reasonable loss in accuracy. In particular, the CC singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) as well as the CC singles, doubles, triples, and perturbative quadruples [CCSDT(Q)] methods are considered, which are frequently used in high-precision model chemistries for the calculation of iterative triples and quadruples corrections. First, we study the possibilities for using active spaces to decrease the computational costs. In this case, an active space is defined and some indices of cluster amplitudes are restricted to be in the space. Second, the application of transformed virtual orbitals is investigated. In this framework, to reduce the computation time the dimension of the properly transformed virtual one-particle space is truncated. We have found that the orbital transformation techniques outperform the active-space approaches. Using the transformation techniques, the computational time can be reduced in average by an order of magnitude without significant loss in accuracy. It is demonstrated that high-order CC calculations are possible for considerably larger systems than before using the implemented techniques.

New coupled cluster approaches based on the unrestricted Hartree–Fock reference for treating molecules with multireference character

Here we review the basic formalism, implementation details, and performance of two newly developed coupled cluster (CC) methods based on the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) reference for treating molecules with multireference character. These two approaches can be considered to be approximations to the CC singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) method. The key concept of these two approaches is the corresponding orbitals, which are unitary transformations of canonical UHF molecular orbitals so that all spin orbitals are grouped into unique orbital pairs. In one approach called CCSDT(5P), a subset of triple excitations involving up to five-pair indices is included. In another approach called CCSD(T)-h, the contribution of connected triple excitations is treated in a hybrid way. With the concept of active corresponding orbitals, triple excitations can be automatically partitioned into two subsets, and the amplitudes of these two subsets are determined via solving different equations. Both CCSD(T)-h and CCSDT(5P) computationally scale as the seventh power of the system size. A survey of a number of applications demonstrates that CCSD(T)-h is an excellent approximation to the full CCSDT method, and CCSDT(5P) provides a good approximation to CCSDT for single-bond breaking processes. The overall performance of CCSDT(5P) is less accurate than that of CCSD(T)-h, but significantly better than that of the widely used CCSD(T).

A coupled cluster approach with a hybrid treatment of connected triple excitations: Implementation and applications for open-shell systems

An implementation of the coupled cluster (CC) singles, doubles, and a hybrid treatment of connected triples [denoted as CCSD(T)-h], based on the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) reference, is presented. Based on the spin-integrated formulation, we have developed a computer program to achieve the automatic derivation and implementation of the CCSD(T)-h approach. The CCSD(T)-h approach computationally scales as the seventh power of the system size, and is affordable for many medium-sized systems. The present approach has been applied to study the equilibrium geometries and harmonic vibrational frequencies in a number of open-shell diatomic molecules and bond breaking potential energy profiles in several open-shell molecules, including CH(3), NH(2), and SiH(2). For all systems under study, the overall performance of the UHF-based CCSD(T)-h approach is very close to that of the corresponding CCSDT (CC singles, doubles, and triples), and much better than that of the UHF-based CCSD(T) (CC singles, doubles, and perturbative triples).

Parallel Calculation of CCSDT and Mk-MRCCSDT Energies

A scheme for the parallel calculation of energies at the coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) level of theory, several approximate iterative CCSDT schemes (CCSDT-1a, CCSDT-1b, CCSDT-2, CCSDT-3, and CC3), and for the state-specific multireference coupled-cluster ansatz suggested by Mukherjee with a full treatment of triple excitations (Mk-MRCCSDT) is presented. The proposed scheme is based on the adaptation of a highly efficient serial coupled-cluster code leading to a communication-minimized implementation by parallelizing the time-determining steps. The parallel algorithm is tailored for affordable cluster architectures connected by standard communication networks such as Gigabit Ethernet. In this way, CCSDT and Mk-MRCCSDT computations become feasible even for larger molecular systems and basis sets. An analysis of the time-determining steps for CCSDT and Mk-MRCCSDT, namely the computation of the triple-excitation amplitudes and their individual contributions, is carried out. Benchmark calculations are presented for the N2O, ozone, and benzene molecules, proving that the parallelization of these steps is sufficient to obtain an efficient parallel scheme. A first application to the case of 2,6-pyridyne using a triple-ζ quality basis (222 basis functions) is presented demonstrating the efficiency of the current implementation.

A coupled cluster approach with a hybrid treatment of connected triple excitations for bond-breaking potential energy surfaces

An approximate coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) method based on the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) reference, in which the contribution of triple excitations is approximately treated in a hybrid manner [denoted as CCSD(T)-h], is presented. In this approach, canonical UHF molecular orbitals are first transformed into corresponding orbitals so that each alpha-spin orbital is paired with only one beta-spin orbital. Then, active orbitals (occupied or virtual) are automatically selected by setting a threshold for the overlap integrals of corresponding orbitals. With the concept of active orbitals, triple excitations can be divided into two subsets: (1) "active" triples involving at least one occupied active orbital and one virtual active orbital and (2) the remaining triples. The amplitudes of these two classes of triple excitations are obtained via two different approaches. When the present method is employed to study bond-breaking processes, it computationally scales as the seventh power of the system size, because the number of active orbitals involved in such processes is relatively small compared to the total number of the orbitals, and is usually independent on the system size. It has been applied to study the bond-breaking potential energy surfaces in the H(8) model and five small molecules (HF, F(2), CH(4), H(2)O, and N(2)). For all systems under study, the overall performance of CCSD(T)-h is very competitive with that of CCSDT, and much better than that of the UHF-based CCSD(T).

Explicitly correlated combined coupled-cluster and perturbation methods

Coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) or coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) with noniterative, perturbation corrections for higher-order excitations have been extended to include the basis functions that explicitly depend on interelectronic distances (r(12)) in the wave function expansions with the aim of dramatically accelerating the basis-set convergence of correlation energies. The extension has been based on the so-called R12 (or F12) scheme and applied to a second-order triples correction to CCSD [CCSD(2)(T)-R12], a second-order triples and quadruples correction to CCSD [CCSD(2)(TQ)-R12], a third-order triples correction to CCSD [CCSD(3)(T)-R12], and a second-order quadruples correction to CCSDT [CCSDT(2)(Q)-R12]. A simplified R12 treatment suggested by Fliegl et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 122, 084107 (2005)] has been combined with some of these methods, introducing CCSD(2)(T)(R12) and CCSD(2)(TQ)(R12). The CCSD(T)-R12 method has also been developed as an approximation to CCSD(2)(T)-R12. These methods have been applied to dissociation of hydrogen fluoride and double dissociation of water. For the molecules at their equilibrium geometries, molecular properties predicted by these methods converge extremely rapidly toward the complete-correlation, complete-basis-set limits with respect to the cluster excitation rank, perturbation order, and basis-set size. Although the R12 scheme employed in this work does not improve the basis-set convergence of connected triples or quadruples corrections, the basis-set truncation errors in these contributions have roughly the same magnitude as small residual basis-set truncation errors in the connected singles and doubles contributions even in the dissociation of hydrogen fluoride. In the double dissociation of water, the basis-set truncation errors in the connected triples contribution can be a few times as great as those in the connected singles and doubles contributions.

Orbital instabilities and spin-symmetry breaking in coupled-cluster calculations of indirect nuclear spin–spin coupling constants

The effect of orbital instabilities is investigated for spin-symmetry breaking perturbations, namely the Fermi-contact (FC) and spin–dipole (SD) contributions to the indirect nuclear spin–spin coupling constants. For the CO and N2 molecules the FC and SD contributions have been calculated and orbital-stability analyses for various interatomic distances have been carried out. This includes calculations at the Hartree–Fock self-consistent field (HF-SCF), coupled-cluster (CC) singles and doubles (CCSD), CC3, CCSD(T), CCSDT-4, CC singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) levels, and for the first time also at the CC singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples (CCSDTQ) level of theory. For calculations with relaxation of the reference orbitals in the presence of the perturbation, unphysical results are obtained over a wide range of the potential curve. This is due to a triplet instability of the Hartree–Fock reference determinant which leads to a pronounced pole in the FC and SD contributions. The effect of orbital instabilities in the relaxed methods is most dramatic for perturbative approaches like CCSD(T), while it is less pronounced for methods of the classical CC hierarchy. CC calculations without relaxation of the orbitals, i.e., so-called “unrelaxed” calculations, do not show any of these effects.

In search of definitive signatures of the elusive NCCO radical

Previous experimental assignments of the fundamental vibrational frequencies of NCCO have been brought into question by subsequent unsuccessful attempts to observe IR signatures of this radical at these frequencies. Here we compute the fundamental vibrational frequencies by applying second-order vibrational perturbation theory to the complete quartic force field computed at the all-electron (AE) coupled cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples level [CCSD(T)] with the correlation-consistent, polarized core-valence quadruple-zeta (cc-pCVQZ) basis set, which has tight functions to correctly describe core correlation. The AE-CCSD(T)/cc-pCVQZ geometric parameters are r(e)(N-C)=1.1623 A, r(e)(C-C)=1.4370 A, r(e)(C-O)=1.1758 A, theta(e)(N-C-C)=168.55 degrees , and theta(e)(C-C-O)=132.22 degrees . Our CCSD(T)/cc-pCVQZ values of the characteristic stretching frequencies nu(1) and nu(2) are 2171 and 1898 cm(-1), respectively, in stark contrast to the experimentally derived values of 2093 and 1774 cm(-1). Finally, focal-point extrapolations using correlation-consistent basis sets cc-pVXZ (X=D,T,Q,5,6) and electron correlation treatments as extensive as full coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) with perturbative accounting of quadruple excitations [CCSDT(Q)] determine the vibrationless barrier to linearity of NCCO and the dissociation energy (D(0)) of NCCO-->NC+CO to be 8.4 and 26.5 kcal mol(-1), respectively. Using our precisely determined dissociation energy, we recommend a new 0 K enthalpy of formation for NCCO of 50.9+/-0.3 kcal mol(-1).

The Cotton-Mouton effect of neon and argon: A benchmark study using highly correlated coupled cluster wave functions

The Cotton-Mouton effect (magnetic field induced linear birefringence) has been studied for neon and argon using state-of-the-art coupled cluster techniques. The coupled cluster singles, doubles and triples (CCSDT) approach has been used to obtain static benchmark results and the CC3 model with an approximate treatment of triple excitations to obtain frequency-dependent results. In the case of neon the effect of excitations beyond triples has also been estimated via coupled cluster calculations including quadruple excitations (CCSDTQ), pentuple excitations (CCSDTQP), etc. up to the full configuration-interaction level. The results obtained for the anisotropy of the hypermagnetizability Deltaeta(omega), the molecular property that determines the magnetic field induced birefringence of spherically symmetric systems, are Deltaeta=2.89 a.u. for neon and Deltaeta=24.7 a.u. for argon, with a negligible effect of frequency dispersion. For neon we could estimate an absolute error on Deltaeta of 0.1 a.u. The accuracy of these results surpasses that of recently reported experimental data.

Calculation of current densities using gauge-including atomic orbitals.

A method for calculating the various components of the magnetically induced current-density tensor using gauge-including atomic orbitals is described. The method is formulated in the framework of analytical derivative theory, thus enabling implementation at the Hartree-Fock self-consistent-field (HF-SCF) as well as at electron-correlated levels. First-order induced current densities have been computed up to the coupled-cluster singles and doubles level (CCSD) augmented by a perturbative treatment of triple excitations [CCSD(T)] for carbon dioxide and benzene and up to the full coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) level in the case of ozone. The applicability of the gauge including magnetically induced current method to larger molecules is demonstrated by computing first-order current densities for porphin and hexabenzocoronene at the HF-SCF and density-functional theory level. Furthermore, a scheme for obtaining quantitative values for the induced currents in a molecule via numerical integration over the current flow is presented. For benzene, a perpendicular magnetic field induces a (field dependent) ring current of 12.8 nA T(-1) at the HF-SCF level using a triple-zeta basis set augmented with polarization functions (TZP). At the CCSD(T)/TZP level the induced current was found to be 11.4 nA T(-1). Gauge invariance and its relation to charge-current conservation is discussed.

Analytic second derivatives for the full coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples model: Nuclear magnetic shielding constants for BH, HF, CO, N2, N2O, and O3

An implementation of analytic second derivatives for the coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) model is reported and applied to the calculation of nuclear magnetic shielding constants of BH, HF, CO, N2, N2O, and O3. The CCSDT calculations yield further evidence for the high accuracy provided by chemical shift calculations employing the coupled-cluster singles, doubles (CCSD) approach augmented by a perturbative triples correction [CCSD(T)].

Triple excitation effects in coupled-cluster calculations of indirect spin–spin coupling constants

The effect of triple excitations in coupled-cluster calculations of indirect spin-spin coupling constants is investigated in coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) calculations augmented by a perturbative treatment of triples [CCSD(T)], in calculations based on the CC3 model as well as in coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) calculations. Though triple excitation effects are in most cases not particularly pronounced, it is demonstrated that among the approximate schemes for handling triples only the CC3 model with no orbital relaxation included (unrelaxed CC3) provides an adequate description. The otherwise successful CCSD(T) aproach appears to either significantly overestimate triple excitation effects or to yield corrections with the wrong sign in comparison to CCSDT.