Showing papers on "Ab initio quantum chemistry methods published in 2016"

Semiempirical Quantum Mechanical Methods for Noncovalent Interactions for Chemical and Biochemical Applications

Abstract: Semiempirical (SE) methods can be derived from either Hartree-Fock or density functional theory by applying systematic approximations, leading to efficient computational schemes that are several orders of magnitude faster than ab initio calculations. Such numerical efficiency, in combination with modern computational facilities and linear scaling algorithms, allows application of SE methods to very large molecular systems with extensive conformational sampling. To reliably model the structure, dynamics, and reactivity of biological and other soft matter systems, however, good accuracy for the description of noncovalent interactions is required. In this review, we analyze popular SE approaches in terms of their ability to model noncovalent interactions, especially in the context of describing biomolecules, water solution, and organic materials. We discuss the most significant errors and proposed correction schemes, and we review their performance using standard test sets of molecular systems for quantum chemical methods and several recent applications. The general goal is to highlight both the value and limitations of SE methods and stimulate further developments that allow them to effectively complement ab initio methods in the analysis of complex molecular systems.

On the accuracy of the MB-pol many-body potential for water: Interaction energies, vibrational frequencies, and classical thermodynamic and dynamical properties from clusters to liquid water and ice

Abstract: The MB-pol many-body potential has recently emerged as an accurate molecular model for water simulations from the gas to the condensed phase. In this study, the accuracy of MB-pol is systematically assessed across the three phases of water through extensive comparisons with experimental data and high-level ab initio calculations. Individual many-body contributions to the interaction energies as well as vibrational spectra of water clusters calculated with MB-pol are in excellent agreement with reference data obtained at the coupled cluster level. Several structural, thermodynamic, and dynamical properties of the liquid phase at atmospheric pressure are investigated through classical molecular dynamics simulations as a function of temperature. The structural properties of the liquid phase are in nearly quantitative agreement with X-ray diffraction data available over the temperature range from 268 to 368 K. The analysis of other thermodynamic and dynamical quantities emphasizes the importance of explicitly including nuclear quantum effects in the simulations, especially at low temperature, for a physically correct description of the properties of liquid water. Furthermore, both densities and lattice energies of several ice phases are also correctly reproduced by MB-pol. Following a recent study of DFT models for water, a score is assigned to each computed property, which demonstrates the high and, in many respects, unprecedented accuracy of MB-pol in representing all three phases of water.

Potential Dependence of Electrochemical Barriers from ab Initio Calculations

Abstract: We present a simple and computationally efficient method to determine the potential dependence of the activation energies for proton–electron transfer from a single ab initio barrier calculation. We show that the potential dependence of the activation energy is given by the partial charge transferred at the transition state. The method is evaluated against the potential dependence determined explicitly through multiple calculations at varying potential. We show that the transfer coefficient is given by the charge transferred from the initial to transition state, which has significant implications for electrochemical kinetics.

Two-dimensional Fröhlich interaction in transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayers: Theoretical modeling and first-principles calculations

Abstract: We perform ab initio calculations of the coupling between electrons and small-momentum polar-optical phonons in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides of the $2H$ type: ${\mathrm{MoS}}_{2},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{MoSe}}_{2},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{MoTe}}_{2},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{WS}}_{2}$, and ${\mathrm{WSe}}_{2}$. The polar-optical coupling with longitudinal optical phonons, or Fr\"ohlich interaction, is fundamentally affected by the dimensionality of the system. In a plane-wave framework with periodic boundary conditions, the Fr\"ohlich interaction is affected by the spurious interaction between the two-dimensional (2D) material and its periodic images. To overcome this difficulty, we perform density functional perturbation theory calculations with a truncated Coulomb interaction in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the 2D material. We show that the two-dimensional Fr\"ohlich interaction is much stronger than assumed in previous ab initio studies. We provide analytical models depending on the effective charges and dielectric properties of the materials to interpret our ab initio calculations. Screening is shown to play a fundamental role in the phonon-momentum dependency of the polar-optical coupling, with a crossover between two regimes depending on the dielectric properties of the material relative to its environment. The Fr\"ohlich interaction is screened by the dielectric environment in the limit of small phonon momenta and sharply decreases due to stronger screening by the monolayer at finite momenta. The small-momentum regime of the ab initio Fr\"ohlich interaction is reproduced by a simple analytical model, for which we provide the necessary parameters. At larger momenta, however, direct ab initio calculations of electron-phonon interactions are necessary to capture band-specific effects. We compute and compare the carrier relaxation times associated with the scattering by both LO and ${A}_{1}$ phonon modes. While both modes are capable of relaxing carriers on time scales under the picosecond at room temperature, their absolute importance and relative importance vary strongly depending on the material, the band, and the substrate.

Mechanically controlled quantum interference in individual π-stacked dimers

Abstract: Recent observations of destructive quantum interference in single-molecule junctions confirm the role of quantum effects in the electronic conductance properties of molecular systems. These effects are central to a broad range of chemical and biological processes and may be beneficial for the design of single-molecule electronic components to exploit the intrinsic quantum effects that occur at the molecular scale. Here we show that destructive interference can be turned on or off within the same molecular system by mechanically controlling its conformation. Using a combination of ab initio calculations and single-molecule conductance measurements, we demonstrate the existence of a quasiperiodic destructive quantum-interference pattern along the breaking traces of π-stacked molecular dimers. The results demonstrate that it is possible to control the molecular conductance over more than one order of magnitude and with a sub-angstrom resolution by exploiting the subtle structure–property relationship of π-stacked dimers. Single-molecule junctions provide a unique platform to understand how molecular structure affects electronic transport. Now it has been shown that electronic transport through a π-stacked dimer can be precisely controlled when pulling it apart. This behaviour is caused by quantum interference effects that are turned ON or OFF depending on dimer conformation.

Defect energetics of concentrated solid-solution alloys from ab initio calculations: Ni0.5Co0.5, Ni0.5Fe0.5, Ni0.8Fe0.2 and Ni0.8Cr0.2

Abstract: It has been shown that concentrated solid solution alloys possess unusual electronic, magnetic, transport, mechanical and radiation-resistant properties that are directly related to underlying chemical complexity. Because every atom experiences a different local atomic environment, the formation and migration energies of vacancies and interstitials in these alloys exhibit a distribution, rather than a single value as in a pure metal or dilute alloy. Using ab initio calculations based on density functional theory and special quasirandom structures, we have characterized the distribution of defect formation energy and migration barrier in four Ni-based solid-solution alloys: Ni0.5Co0.5, Ni0.5Fe0.5, Ni0.8Fe0.2, and Ni0.8Cr0.2. As defect formation energies in finite-size models depend sensitively on the elemental chemical potential, we have developed a computationally efficient method for determining it which takes into account the global composition and the local short-range order. In addition we have compared the results of our ab initio calculations to those obtained from available embedded atom method (EAM) potentials. Our results indicate that the defect formation and migration energies are closely related to the specific atoms in the structure, which further determines the elemental diffusion properties. Different EAM potentials yield different features of defect energetics in concentrated alloys, pointing to the need for additional potential development efforts in order to allow spatial and temporal scale-up of defect and simulations, beyond those accessible to ab initio methods.

Structural, elastic and thermo-electronic properties of paramagnetic perovskite PbTaO3

Abstract: Self-consistent ab initio calculations with highly precise spin-polarised, density functional theory (DFT) have been performed for the first time, to study the structural stability, mechanical and magneto-electronic properties of cubic perovskite PbTaO3. The DFT as well as the analytically calculated values of tolerance factor, in addition to stable-phase optimization, mechanical and elastic properties show stability of the present material in the cubic phase with a reasonably stiff nature and ductile properties. The symmetric spin-polarised band structure of both the spin (up and down) channels reveals zero spin polarisation at the Fermi level. Moreover, the insignificant total and individual spin magnetic moments of adjacent atoms and magnetic susceptibility calculations via the post-DFT treatment predict the paramagnetic nature of the material. Based on results of the present study, the paramagnetic metal PbTaO3 material is considered a promising candidate in designing new electrode materials.

The structure of water at a Pt(111) electrode and the potential of zero charge studied from first principles

Abstract: The structure of a liquid water layer on Pt(111) has been studied by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations based on periodic density functional theory calculations. First the reliability of the chosen exchange-correlation function has been validated by considering water clusters, bulk ice structures, and bulk liquid water, confirming that the dispersion corrected RPBE-D3/zero functional is a suitable choice. The simulations at room temperature yield that a water layer that is six layers thick is sufficient to yield liquid water properties in the interior of the water film. Performing a statistical average along the trajectory, a mean work function of 5.01 V is derived, giving a potential of zero charge of Pt(111) of 0.57 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode, in good agreement with experiments. Therefore we propose the RPBE-D3/zero functional as the appropriate choice for first-principles calculations addressing electrochemical aqueous electrolyte/metal electrode interfaces.

Ab initio calculations of grain boundaries in bcc metals

Abstract: In this study, we compute grain boundary (GB) properties for a large set of GBs in bcc transition metals with a special focus on W, Mo and Fe using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) and semi-empirical second nearest neighbour modified embedded atom method (2NN-MEAM) potentials. The GB properties include GB energies, surface energies, GB excess volume and work of separation, which we analyse and then compare to experimental data. We find that the used 2NN-MEAM potentials can predict general trends of GB properties, but do not always reproduce the GB ground state structure and energy found with DFT. In particular, our results explain the experimental finding that W and Mo prefer intergranular fracture, while other bcc metals prefer transgranular cleavage.

Competition between H2O and (H2O)2 reactions with CH2OO/CH3CHOO

Abstract: In this study, we performed ab initio calculations and obtained the bimolecular rate coefficients for the CH2OO/CH3CHOO reactions with H2O/(H2O)2. The energies were calculated with QCISD(T)/CBS//B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) and the partition functions were estimated with anharmonic vibrational corrections by using the second order perturbation theory. Furthermore, we directly measured the rate of the CH2OO reaction with water vapor at high temperatures (348 and 358 K) to reveal the contribution of the water monomer in the CH2OO decay kinetics. We found that the theoretical rate coefficients reproduce the experimental results of CH2OO for a wide range of temperatures. For anti- (syn-) CH3CHOO, we obtained theoretical rate coefficients of 1.60 × 10−11 (2.56 × 10−14) and 3.40 × 10−14 (1.98 × 10−19) cm3 s−1 for water dimer and monomer reactions at room temperature. From the detailed analysis of the quantum chemistry and approximations for the thermochemistry calculations, we conclude that our calculated values would be within a factor of 3 of the correct values. Furthermore, at [H2O] = 1 × 1017 to 5 × 1017 cm−3, we estimate that the effective first-order rate coefficients for CH2OO, anti- and syn-CH3CHOO reactions with water vapor will be ∼103, ∼104, and ∼101 s−1, respectively. Thereby, for Criegee intermediates with a hydrogen atom on the same side as the terminal oxygen atom, the reaction with water vapor will likely dominate the removal processes of these CIs in the atmosphere.

New Approaches for ab initio Calculations of Molecules with Strong Electron Correlation.

Abstract: Reliable quantum chemical methods for the description of molecules with dense-lying frontier orbitals are needed in the context of many chemical compounds and reactions. Here, we review developments that led to our new computational toolbox which implements the quantum chemical density matrix renormalization group in a second-generation algorithm. We present an overview of the different components of this toolbox.

Manganese-centered tubular boron cluster - MnB16 (-): A new class of transition-metal molecules.

Abstract: We report the observation of a manganese-centered tubular boron cluster (MnB16−), which is characterized by photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The relatively simple pattern of the photoelectron spectrum indicates the cluster to be highly symmetric. Ab initio calculations show that MnB16− has a Mn-centered tubular structure with C4v symmetry due to first-order Jahn-Teller effect, while neutral MnB16 reduces to C2v symmetry due to second-order Jahn-Teller effect. In MnB16−, two unpaired electrons are observed, one on the Mn 3dz2 orbital and another on the B16 tube, making it an unusual biradical. Strong covalent bonding is found between the Mn 3d orbitals and the B16 tube, which helps to stabilize the tubular structure. The current result suggests that there may exist a whole class of metal-stabilized tubular boron clusters. These metal-doped boron clusters provide a new bonding modality for transition metals, as well as a new avenue to design boron-based nanomaterials.

The Effects of the Organic–Inorganic Interactions on the Thermal Transport Properties of CH3NH3PbI3

Abstract: Methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3), the most investigated hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskite, is characterized by a quite low thermal conductivity. The rotational motion of methylammonium cations is considered responsible for phonon transport suppression; however, to date, the specific mechanism of the process has not been clarified. In this study, we elucidate the role of rotations in thermal properties based on molecular dynamics simulations. To do it, we developed an empirical potential for CH3NH3PbI3 by fitting to ab initio calculations and evaluated its thermal conductivity by means of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. Results are compared with model systems that include different embedded cations, and this comparison shows a dominant suppression effect provided by rotational motions. We also checked the temperature dependence of the vibrational density of states and specified the energy range in which anharmonic couplings occur. By means of phonon dispersion analysis, we wer...

State-of-the-art ab initio potential energy curve for the krypton atom pair and thermophysical properties of dilute krypton gas.

Abstract: A new reference krypton-krypton interatomic potential energy curve was developed by means of quantum-chemical ab initio calculations for 36 interatomic separations. Highly accurate values for the interaction energies at the complete basis set limit were obtained using the coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations as well as t-aug-cc-pV5Z and t-aug-cc-pV6Z basis sets including mid-bond functions, with the 6Z basis set being newly constructed for this study. Higher orders of coupled-cluster terms were considered in a successive scheme up to full quadruple excitations. Core-core and core-valence correlation effects were included. Furthermore, relativistic effects were studied not only at a scalar relativistic level using second-order direct perturbation theory, but also utilizing full four-component and Gaunt-effect computations. An analytical pair potential function was fitted to the interaction energies, which is characterized by a depth of 200.88 K with an estimated standard uncertainty of 0.51 K. Thermophysical properties of low-density krypton were calculated for temperatures up to 5000 K. Second and third virial coefficients were obtained from statistical thermodynamics. Viscosity and thermal conductivity as well as the self-diffusion coefficient were computed using the kinetic theory of gases. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data and with results for other pair potential functions from the literature, especially with those calculated from the recently developed ab initio potential of Waldrop et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 142, 204307 (2015)]. Highly accurate experimental viscosity data indicate that both the present ab initio pair potential and the one of Waldrop et al. can be regarded as reference potentials, even though the quantum-chemical methods and basis sets differ. However, the uncertainties of the present potential and of the derived properties are estimated to be considerably lower.

Ab Initio Calculation of Rate Constants for Molecule–Surface Reactions with Chemical Accuracy

Abstract: The ab initio prediction of reaction rate constants for systems with hundreds of atoms with an accuracy that is comparable to experiment is a challenge for computational quantum chemistry. We present a divide-and-conquer strategy that departs from the potential energy surfaces obtained by standard density functional theory with inclusion of dispersion. The energies of the reactant and transition structures are refined by wavefunction-type calculations for the reaction site. Thermal effects and entropies are calculated from vibrational partition functions, and the anharmonic frequencies are calculated separately for each vibrational mode. This method is applied to a key reaction of an industrially relevant catalytic process, the methylation of small alkenes over zeolites. The calculated reaction rate constants (free energies), pre-exponential factors (entropies), and enthalpy barriers show that our computational strategy yields results that agree with experiment within chemical accuracy limits (less than one order of magnitude).

Planarized Intramolecular Charge Transfer: A Concept for Fluorophores with both Large Stokes Shifts and High Fluorescence Quantum Yields.

Abstract: Fluorophores were successfully used in several areas of chemistry and biochemistry. For many purposes, however, it is necessary that the fluorescence compound features a high fluorescence quantum yield as well as a large Stokes shift. The latter is, for example, achieved by the use of a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) compound, which shows a twisted geometry in the excited state. However, the higher the twisting is, the lower becomes in general the fluorescence quantum yield as the resulting emission from the twisted state is forbidden. In order to escape this dilemma, we propose the model of planarized intramolecular charge-transfer (PLICT) states. These compounds are completely twisted in the ground states and planar in the excited states. By means of quantum chemical calculations (time-dependent (TD)-B3LYP and CC2) and experimental studies, we could demonstrate that 1-aminoindole and its derivatives form photoinduced PLICT states. They show both very large Stokes shifts (ν˜ =9000–13 500 cm−1, i.e., λ=100–150 nm) and high fluorescence quantum yields. These characteristics and their easy availability starting from the corresponding indoles, make them very attractive for the use as optical switches in various fields of chemistry as well as biological probes.

Ab initio molecular dynamics with nuclear quantum effects at classical cost: Ring polymer contraction for density functional theory.

Abstract: Path integral molecular dynamics simulations, combined with an ab initio evaluation of interactions using electronic structure theory, incorporate the quantum mechanical nature of both the electrons and nuclei, which are essential to accurately describe systems containing light nuclei. However, path integral simulations have traditionally required a computational cost around two orders of magnitude greater than treating the nuclei classically, making them prohibitively costly for most applications. Here we show that the cost of path integral simulations can be dramatically reduced by extending our ring polymer contraction approach to ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. By using density functional tight binding as a reference system, we show that our ring polymer contraction scheme gives rapid and systematic convergence to the full path integral density functional theory result. We demonstrate the efficiency of this approach in ab initio simulations of liquid water and the reactive protonated and dep...

Ab initio scaling laws for the formation energy of nanosized interstitial defect clusters in iron, tungsten, and vanadium

Abstract: The size limitation of ab initio calculations impedes first-principles simulations of crystal defects at nanometer sizes. Considering clusters of self-interstitial atoms as a paradigm for such crystal defects, we have developed an ab initio--accuracy model to predict formation energies of defect clusters with various geometries and sizes. Our discrete-continuum model combines the discrete nature of energetics of interstitial clusters and continuum elasticity for a crystalline solid matrix. The model is then applied to interstitial dislocation loops with $\ensuremath{\langle}100\ensuremath{\rangle}$ and $1/2\ensuremath{\langle}111\ensuremath{\rangle}$ Burgers vectors, and to C15 clusters in body-centered-cubic crystals Fe, W, and V, to determine their relative stabilities as a function of size. We find that in Fe the C15 clusters were more stable than dislocation loops if the number of self-interstitial atoms involved was fewer than 51, which corresponds to a C15 cluster with a diameter of $1.5$ nm. In V and W, the $1/2\ensuremath{\langle}111\ensuremath{\rangle}$ loops represent the most stable configurations for all defect sizes, which is at odds with predictions derived from simulations performed using some empirical interatomic potentials. Further, the formation energies predicted by the discrete-continuum model are reparametrized by a simple analytical expression giving the formation energy of self-interstitial clusters as a function of their size. The analytical scaling laws are valid over a very broad range of defect sizes, and they can be used in multiscale techniques including kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and cluster dynamics or dislocation dynamics studies.

Surface Adsorption Energetics Studied with “Gold Standard” Wave-Function-Based Ab Initio Methods: Small-Molecule Binding to TiO2(110)

Abstract: Coupled-cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)) is widely considered to be the “gold standard” of ab initio quantum chemistry. Using the domain-based pair natural orbital local correlation concept (DLPNO-CCSD(T)), these calculations can be performed on systems with hundreds of atoms at an accuracy of ∼99.9% of the canonical CCSD(T) method. This allows for ab initio calculations providing reference adsorption energetics at solid surfaces with an accuracy approaching 1 kcal/mol. This is an invaluable asset, not least for the assessment of density functional theory (DFT) as the prevalent approach for large-scale production calculations in energy or catalysis applications. Here we use DLPNO-CCSD(T) with embedded cluster models to compute entire adsorbate potential energy surfaces for the binding of a set of prototypical closed-shell molecules (H2O, NH3, CH4, CH3OH, CO2) to the rutile TiO2(110) surface. The DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations show excellent agreement with avail...

First-principles Hubbard U approach for small molecule binding in metal-organic frameworks

Abstract: We apply first-principles approaches with Hubbard U corrections for calculation of small molecule binding energetics to open-shell transition metal atoms in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Using density functional theory with van der Waals dispersion-corrected functionals, we determine Hubbard U values ab initio through an established linear response procedure for M-MOF-74, for a number of different metal centers (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu). While our ab initio U values differ from those used in previous work, we show that they result in lattice parameters and electronic contributions to CO2-MOF binding energies that lead to excellent agreement with experiments and previous results, yielding lattice parameters within 3%. In addition, U-dependent calculations for an example system, Co-MOF-74, suggest that the CO2 binding energy grows monotonically with the value of Hubbard U, with the binding energy shifting 4 kJ/mol (or 0.041 eV) over the range of U = 0-5.4 eV. These results provide insight into an approximate but computationally efficient means for calculation of small molecule binding energies to open-shell transition metal atoms in MOFs and suggest that the approach can be predictive with good accuracy, independent of the cations used and the availability of experimental data.

Uncertainty estimates for theoretical atomic and molecular data

Abstract: Sources of uncertainty are reviewed for calculated atomic and molecular data that are important for plasma modeling: atomic and molecular structures and cross sections for electron-atom, electron-molecule, and heavy particle collisions. We concentrate on model uncertainties due to approximations to the fundamental many-body quantum mechanical equations and we aim to provide guidelines to estimate uncertainties as a routine part of computations of data for structure and scattering.

Open s d -shell nuclei from first principles

Abstract: We extend the ab initio coupled-cluster effective interaction (CCEI) method to open-shell nuclei with protons and neutrons in the valence space and compute binding energies and excited states of isotopes of neon and magnesium. We employ a nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon interaction from chiral effective field theory evolved to a lower cutoff via a similarity renormalization group transformation. We find good agreement with experiment for binding energies and spectra, while charge radii of neon isotopes are underestimated. For the deformed nuclei $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ and $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$, we reproduce rotational bands and electric quadrupole transitions within uncertainties estimated from an effective field theory for deformed nuclei, thereby demonstrating that collective phenomena in $sd$-shell nuclei emerge from complex ab initio calculations.

Ab initio threshold displacement energies in iron

Abstract: The threshold displacement energy in iron is determined using ab initio molecular dynamics This is the most fundamental input parameter for radiation damage assessments The predictions agree well with the available experiments and provide a significantly lower average value for iron than the standard one This result impacts radiation damage assessments in iron alloys and steels and especially so for dose estimations and conditions close to the threshold The importance of using an appropriate description of the core and valence electrons is highlighted Energy loss simulations provide important fitting parameters for improved interatomic potentialsIMPACT STATEMENT Ground-breaking ab initio calculations of the threshold displacement energies in iron show significant differences in the angular anisotropy and predicted average value with respect to previous literature

Ab initio electronic relaxation times and transport in noble metals

Abstract: Relaxation times employed to study electron transport in metals are typically taken to be constants and obtained empirically. Here, we use fully ab initio calculations to compute the electron-phonon relaxation times of Cu, Ag, and Au and find that they vary significantly on the Fermi surface, with values from ∼15 to 45 fs that are correlated with the Fermi surface topology. We compute room-temperature resistivities in excellent agreement with experiment by combining GW quasiparticle band structures, Wannier-interpolated band velocities, and ab initio relaxation times. We introduce an importance sampling scheme to speed up the convergence of resistivity and transport calculations.

Ab initio Calculations of Charge Symmetry Breaking in the $A=4$ Hypernuclei

Abstract: We report on ab initio no-core shell model calculations of the mirror. hypernuclei H-4(Lambda) and He-4(Lambda), using the Bonn-Julich leadi-order chiral effective field theory hyperon-nucleon potentials plus a charge symmetry breaking Lambda - Sigma(0) mixing vertex. In addition to reproducing rather well the 0(g.s.)(+) and 1(exc)(+) binding energies, these four-body calculations demonstrate for the first time that the observed charge symmetry breaking splitting of mirror levels, reaching hundreds of keV for 0(g.s.)(+), can be reproduced using realistic theoretical interaction models, although with a non-negligible momentum cutoff dependence. Our results are discussed in relation to recent measurements of the H-4(Lambda)(0(g.s.)(+)) binding energy at the Mainz Microtron [A. Esser et al. (A1 Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 232501 (2015)] and the He-4(Lambda)(1(exc)(+)) excitation energy [T. O. Yamamoto et al. (J-PARC E13 Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 222501 (2015)].

Relaxation Dynamics and Magnetic Anisotropy in a Low-Symmetry DyIII Complex

Abstract: The magnetic behaviour of a Dy(LH)3 complex (LH(-) is the anion of 2-hydroxy-N'-[(E)-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methylidene]benzhydrazide) was analysed in depth from both theoretical and experimental points of view. Cantilever torque magnetometry indicated that the complex has Ising-type anisotropy, and provided two possible directions for the easy axis of anisotropy due to the presence of two magnetically non-equivalent molecules in the crystal. Ab initio calculations confirmed the strong Ising-type anisotropy and disentangled the two possible orientations. The computed results obtained by using ab initio calculations were then used to rationalise the composite dynamic behaviour observed for both pure Dy(III) phase and Y(III) diluted phase, which showed two different relaxation channels in zero and non-zero static magnetic fields. In particular, we showed that the relaxation behaviour at the higher temperature range can be correctly reproduced by using a master matrix approach, which suggests that Orbach relaxation is occurring through a second excited doublet.