Mark E. Casida

Molecular excitation energies to high-lying bound states from time-dependent density-functional response theory: Characterization and correction of the time-dependent local density approximation ionization threshold

This paper presents an evaluation of the performance of time-dependent density-functional response theory (TD-DFRT) for the calculation of high-lying bound electronic excitation energies of molecules. TD-DFRT excitation energies are reported for a large number of states for each of four molecules: N2, CO, CH2O, and C2H4. In contrast to the good results obtained for low-lying states within the time-dependent local density approximation (TDLDA), there is a marked deterioration of the results for high-lying bound states. This is manifested as a collapse of the states above the TDLDA ionization threshold, which is at ??HOMOLDA (the negative of the highest occupied molecular orbital energy in the LDA). The ??HOMOLDA is much lower than the true ionization potential because the LDA exchange-correlation potential has the wrong asymptotic behavior. For this reason, the excitation energies were also calculated using the asymptotically correct potential of van Leeuwen and Baerends (LB94) in the self-consistent field step. This was found to correct the collapse of the high-lying states that was observed with the LDA. Nevertheless, further improvement of the functional is desirable. For low-lying states the asymptotic behavior of the exchange-correlation potential is not critical and the LDA potential does remarkably well. We propose criteria delineating for which states the TDLDA can be expected to be used without serious impact from the incorrect asymptotic behavior of the LDA potential

Dynamic polarizabilities and excitation spectra from a molecular implementation of time‐dependent density‐functional response theory: N2 as a case study

We report the implementation of time‐dependent density‐functional response theory (TD‐DFRT) for molecules using the time‐dependent local density approximation (TDLDA). This adds exchange and correlation response terms to our previous work which used the density‐functional theory (DFT) random phase approximation (RPA) [M. E. Casida, C. Jamorski, F. Bohr, J. Guan, and D. R. Salahub, in Theoretical and Computational Modeling of NLO and Electronic Materials, edited by S. P. Karna and A. T. Yeates (ACS, Washington, D.C., in press)], and provides the first practical, molecular DFT code capable of treating frequency‐dependent response properties and electronic excitation spectra based on a formally rigorous approach. The essentials of the method are described, and results for the dynamic mean dipole polarizability and the first eight excitation energies of N2 are found to be in good agreement with experiment and with results from other ab initio methods.

Asymptotic correction approach to improving approximate exchange–correlation potentials: Time-dependent density-functional theory calculations of molecular excitation spectra

The time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculation of excitation spectra places certain demands on the DFT exchange–correlation potential, vxc, that are not met by the functionals normally used in molecular calculations. In particular, for high-lying excitations, it is crucial that the asymptotic behavior of vxc be correct. In a previous paper, we introduced a novel asymptotic-correction approach which we used with the local density approximation (LDA) to yield an asymptotically corrected LDA (AC-LDA) potential [Casida, Casida, and Salahub, Int. J. Quantum Chem. 70, 933 (1998)]. The present paper details the theory underlying this asymptotic correction approach, which involves a constant shift to incorporate the effect of the derivative discontinuity (DD) in the bulk region of finite systems, and a spliced asymptotic correction in the large r region. This is done without introducing any adjustable parameters. We emphasize that correcting the asymptotic behavior of vxc is not by itself suffi...

Charge-transfer correction for improved time-dependent local density approximation excited-state potential energy curves: Analysis within the two-level model with illustration for H2 and LiH

Time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) is an increasingly popular approach for calculating molecular excitation energies. However, the TDDFT lowest triplet excitation energy, ωT, of a closed-shell molecule often falls rapidly to zero and then becomes imaginary at large internuclear distances. We show that this unphysical behavior occurs because ωT2 must become negative wherever symmetry breaking lowers the energy of the ground state solution below that of the symmetry unbroken solution. We use the fact that the ΔSCF method gives a qualitatively correct first triplet excited state to derive a “charge-transfer correction” (CTC) for the time-dependent local density approximation (TDLDA) within the two-level model and the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA). Although this correction would not be needed for the exact exchange–correlation functional, it is evidently important for a correct description of molecular excited state potential energy surfaces in the TDLDA. As a byproduct of our analysis, we sh...

Excited-state potential energy curves from time-dependent density-functional theory: A cross section of formaldehyde's 1A1 manifold

This work reports the first density-functional theory (DFT) treatment of excited-state potential energy surfaces exhibiting avoided crossings. Time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) results, using a recently proposed asymptotically corrected local density approximation functional, are compared with multireference doubles configuration interaction (MRD-CI) results for the 1A1 manifold of the CO stretching curves of planar formaldehyde. TD-DFT is found to reproduce the qualitative features essential for understanding the spectroscopy of this manifold, specifically the strong mixing of the 1(π,u2009π*) with Rydberg transitions and the resultant avoided crossings.xa0© 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 70: 933–941, 1998

Comparison of density functionals for energy and structural differences between the high- [5T2g: (t2g)4(eg)2] and low- [1A1g: (t2g)6(eg)0] spin states of the hexaquoferrous cation [Fe(H2O)6]2+.

A comparison of density functionals is made for the calculation of energy and geometry differences for the high- [(5)T(2g): (t(2g))(4)(e(g))(2)] and low- [(1)A(1g): (t(2g))(6)(e(g))(0)] spin states of the hexaquoferrous cation [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](2+). Since very little experimental results are available (except for crystal structures involving the cation in its high-spin state), the primary comparison is with our own complete active-space self-consistent field (CASSCF), second-order perturbation theory-corrected complete active-space self-consistent field (CASPT2), and spectroscopy-oriented configuration interaction (SORCI) calculations. We find that generalized gradient approximations (GGAs) and the B3LYP hybrid functional provide geometries in good agreement with experiment and with our CASSCF calculations provided sufficiently extended basis sets are used (i.e., polarization functions on the iron and polarization and diffuse functions on the water molecules). In contrast, CASPT2 calculations of the low-spin-high-spin energy difference DeltaE(LH)=E(LS)-E(HS) appear to be significantly overestimated due to basis set limitations in the sense that the energy difference of the atomic asymptotes ((5)D-->(1)I excitation of Fe(2+)) are overestimated by about 3000 cm(-1). An empirical shift of the molecular DeltaE(LH) based upon atomic calculations provides a best estimate of 12 000-13 000 cm(-1). Our unshifted SORCI result is 13 300 cm(-1), consistent with previous comparisons between SORCI and experimental excitation energies which suggest that no such empirical shift is needed in conjunction with this method. In contrast, after estimation of incomplete basis set effects, GGAs with one exception underestimate this value by 3000-4000 cm(-1) while the B3LYP functional underestimates it by only about 1000 cm(-1). The exception is the GGA functional RPBE which appears to perform as well as or better than the B3LYP functional for the properties studied here. In order to obtain a best estimate of the molecular DeltaE(LH) within the context of density functional theory (DFT) calculations we have also performed atomic excitation energy calculations using the multiplet sum method. These atomic DFT calculations suggest that no empirical correction is needed for the DFT calculations.

Comparison of local‐density and Hartree–Fock calculations of molecular polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities

This paper presents a comparison between density functional theory local density approximation (LDA) and Hartree–Fock approximation (HFA) calculations of dipole moments, polarizabilities, and first hyperpolarizabilities, using ‘‘comparable’’ basis sets, in order to assess the relative quality of the LDA and the HFA for calculating these properties. Specifically, calculations were done using basis sets of roughly double or triple zeta plus polarization quality, with and without added field‐induced polarization (FIP) functions, for the seven small molecules H2, N2, CO, CH4, NH3, H2O, and HF, using the HFA option in the program HONDO8 and the LDA options in the programs DMol and deMon. For the calculations without FIP functions, the results from HONDO8 HFA and deMon LDA, both of which use Gaussian basis sets, are very similar, while DMol, which uses a LDA numerical atomic orbital basis set, gives substantially better results. Adding FIP functions does much to alleviate these observed basis set artifacts and ...

Mixed time-dependent density-functional theory/classical trajectory surface hopping study of oxirane photochemistry

We present a mixed time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT)/classical trajectory surface hopping (SH) study of the photochemical ring opening in oxirane. Previous preparatory work limited to the symmetric CC ring-opening pathways of oxirane concluded that the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA) is important for improving the performance of TDDFT away from the equilibrium geometry. This observation is supported by the present TDDFT TDA/SH calculations which successfully confirm the main experimentally derived Gomer-Noyes mechanism for the photochemical CO ring opening of oxirane and, in addition, provide important state-specific information not easily accessible from experiments. In particular, we find that, while one of the lowest two excited states is photochemically relatively inert, excitation into the other excited state leads predominantly to rapid ring opening, cyclic-C(2)H(4)O-->(*)CH(2)CH(2)O(*). This is followed by hopping to the electronic ground state where hot (4000 K) dynamics leads to further reactions, namely, (*)CH(2)CH(2)O()-->CH(3)CHO-->(*)CH(3)+(*)CHO and CH(4)+CO. We note that, in the dynamics, we are not limited to following minimum energy pathways and several surface hops may actually be needed before products are finally reached. The performance of different functionals is then assessed by comparison of TDDFT and diffusion Monte Carlo potential energy curves along a typical TDDFT TDA/SH reaction path. Finally, although true (S(0),S(1)) conical intersections are expected to be absent in adiabatic TDDFT, we show that the TDDFT TDA is able to approximate a conical intersection in this system.

Mixed time-dependent density-functional theory/classical photodynamics study of oxirane photochemistry

We present a mixed time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT)/classical trajectory surface hopping (SH) study of the photochemical ring opening in oxirane. Previous preparatory work limited to the symmetric CC ring-opening pathways of oxirane concluded that the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA) is important for improving the performance of TDDFT away from the equilibrium geometry. This observation is supported by the present TDDFT TDA/SH calculations which successfully confirm the main experimentally derived Gomer-Noyes mechanism for the photochemical CO ring opening of oxirane and, in addition, provide important state-specific information not easily accessible from experiments. In particular, we find that, while one of the lowest two excited states is photochemically relatively inert, excitation into the other excited state leads predominantly to rapid ring opening, cyclic-C(2)H(4)O-->(*)CH(2)CH(2)O(*). This is followed by hopping to the electronic ground state where hot (4000 K) dynamics leads to further reactions, namely, (*)CH(2)CH(2)O()-->CH(3)CHO-->(*)CH(3)+(*)CHO and CH(4)+CO. We note that, in the dynamics, we are not limited to following minimum energy pathways and several surface hops may actually be needed before products are finally reached. The performance of different functionals is then assessed by comparison of TDDFT and diffusion Monte Carlo potential energy curves along a typical TDDFT TDA/SH reaction path. Finally, although true (S(0),S(1)) conical intersections are expected to be absent in adiabatic TDDFT, we show that the TDDFT TDA is able to approximate a conical intersection in this system.

Comparison of density functionals for energy and structural differences between the high- [5T2g:(t2g)4(eg)2] and low- [1A1g:(t2g)6(eg)0] spin states of iron(II) coordination compounds. II. More functionals and the hexaminoferrous cation, [Fe(NH3)6]2+

The ability of different density functionals to describe the structural and energy differences between the high- [(5)T(2g):(t(2g))(4)(e(g))(2)] and low- [(1)A(1g):(t(2g))(6)(e(g))(0)] spin states of small octahedral ferrous compounds is studied. This work is an extension of our previous study of the hexaquoferrous cation, [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](2+), [J. Chem. Phys. 120, 9473 (2004)] to include a second compound-namely, the hexaminoferrous cation, [Fe(NH(3))(6)](2+)-and several additional functionals. In particular, the present study includes the highly parametrized generalized gradient approximations (GGAs) known as HCTH and the meta-GGA VSXC [which together we refer to as highly parametrized density functionals (HPDFs)], now readily available in the GAUSSIAN03 program, as well as the hybrid functional PBE0. Since there are very few experimental results for these molecules with which to compare, comparison is made with best estimates obtained from second-order perturbation theory-corrected complete active space self-consistent field (CASPT2) calculations, with spectroscopy oriented configuration interaction (SORCI) calculations, and with ligand field theory (LFT) estimations. While CASPT2 and SORCI are among the most reliable ab initio methods available for this type of problem, LFT embodies many decades of empirical experience. These three methods are found to give coherent results and provide best estimates of the adiabatic low-spin-high-spin energy difference, DeltaE(LH) (adia), of 12 000-13 000 cm(-1) for [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](2+) and 9 000-11 000 cm(-1) for [Fe(NH(3))(6)](2+). All functionals beyond the purely local approximation produce reasonably good geometries, so long as adequate basis sets are used. In contrast, the energy splitting, DeltaE(LH) (adia), is much more sensitive to the choice of functional. The local density approximation severely over stabilizes the low-spin state with respect to the high-spin state. This density functional theory (DFT) spin pairing-energy problem persists, but is reduced, for traditional GGAs. In contrast the hybrid functional B3LYP underestimates DeltaE(LH) (adia) by a few thousands of wave numbers. The RPBE GGA of Hammer, Hansen, and Norskov gives good results for DeltaE(LH) (adia) as do the HPDFs, especially the VSXC functional. Surprisingly the HCTH functionals actually over correct the DFT spin pairing-energy problem, destabilizing the low-spin state relative to the high-spin state. Best agreement is found for the hybrid functional PBE0.