Thermodynamics of the uniform electron gas: Fermionic path integral Monte Carlo simulations in the restricted grand canonical ensemble

The uniform electron gas (UEG) is one of the key models for the understanding of warm dense matter—an exotic, highly compressed state of matter between solid and plasma phases. The difficulty in modelling the UEG arises from the need to simultaneously account for Coulomb correlations, quantum effects, and exchange effects, as well as finite temperature. The most accurate results so far were obtained from quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations with a variety of representations. However, QMC for electrons is hampered by the fermion sign problem. Here, we present results from a novel fermionic propagator path integral Monte Carlo in the restricted grand canonical ensemble. The ab initio simulation results for the spin-resolved pair distribution functions and static structure factor are reported for two isotherms (T in the units of the Fermi temperature). Furthermore, we combine the results from the linear response theory in the Singwi-Tosi-Land-Sjölander scheme with the QMC data to remove finite-size errors in the interaction energy. We present a new corrected parametrization for the interaction energy and the exchange–correlation free energy in the thermodynamic limit, and benchmark our results against the restricted path integral Monte Carlo by Brown et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 , 146405 (2013)] and configuration path integral Monte Carlo/permutation-blocking path integral Monte Carlo by Dornheim et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 117 , 115701 (2016)].     

液态~4He系统对关联函数的路径积分蒙特卡罗模拟

利用路径积分蒙特卡罗(PIMC)模拟方法研究了由256个4He原子组成的系统在不同条件下的对关联函数g(r).在标准大气压下(SVP),分别在1.38K,1.67K,2.50K和4.24K等四个温度时对系统不同势能的情况的对关联函数进行了计算;另外还讨论了系统的温度和密度对对关联函数的影响.结果发现,系统的势能变化及密度变化都或大或小影响对关联函数,而温度对其影响不是很大.虽然PIMC方法存在有限尺度效应,但是由128和256个4He原子组成系统的对关联函数存在极小的差异,因此可以得到:随着模拟系统尺度的增大,所模拟的有限尺度的系统已逐渐接近于真实系统.所以所得的256原子系统的性质可近似说明液态系统性质.     

Configuration Path Integral Monte Carlo

A novel path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) approach for correlated many‐particle systems with arbitrary pair interaction in continuous space at low temperatures is presented. It is based on a representation of the N ‐particle density operator in a basis of (anti‐)symmetrized N ‐particle states (configurations of occupation numbers). The path integral is transformed into a sum over trajectories with the same topology and, finally, the limit of M → ∞, where M is the number of high‐temperature factors, is analytically performed. This yields exact expressions for the thermodynamic quantities and allows to perform efficient simulations for fermions at low temperature and weak to moderate coupling. Our method is expected to be applicable to dense quantum plasmas in the regime of strong degeneracy where conventional PIMC fails due to the fermion sign problem (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

蒙特卡罗模拟在非平衡动态系统中的应用

非平衡系统几乎存在于自然和人造系统的各个层面上,它以非零连续的流量为特征。完全非对称简单排他过程被认为是对这类系统建模和模拟的一个范例。对蒙特卡罗方法如何模拟该类系统进行了介绍。分析了通过蒙特卡罗模拟观察到的一些有趣的物理现象如自发性对称破缺、有限尺寸效应和跳跃过程。非对称的低-低密度相破缺与系统的有限尺寸效应密切相关,建议开展更细致的蒙特卡罗模拟以进一步加深对仍处于争论中的非平衡系统有限尺寸效应的认识。     

蒙特卡罗模拟在非平衡动态系统中的应用

非平衡系统几乎存在于自然和人造系统的各个层面上,它以非零连续的流量为特征。完全非对称简单排他过程被认为是对这类系统建模和模拟的一个范例。对蒙特卡罗方法如何模拟该类系统进行了介绍。分析了通过蒙特卡罗模拟观察到的一些有趣的物理现象如自发性对称破缺、有限尺寸效应和跳跃过程。非对称的低-低密度相破缺与系统的有限尺寸效应密切相关,建议开展更细致的蒙特卡罗模拟以进一步加深对仍处于争论中的非平衡系统有限尺寸效应的认识。     

Monte Carlo Hamiltonian: Linear Potentials

We further study the validity of the Monte Carlo Hamiltonian method. The advantage of the method,in comparison with the standard Monte Carlo Lagrangian approach, is its capability to study the excited states. Weconsider two quantum mechanical models: a symmetric one V(x) = |x|/2; and an asymmetric one V(x) = ∞, forx ＜ 0 and V(x) = x, for x ≥ 0. The results for the spectrum, wave functions and thermodynamical observables are inagreement with the analytical or Runge-Kutta calculations.     

Quantum dynamics at finite temperature: Time-dependent quantum Monte Carlo study

In this work we investigate the ground state and the dissipative quantum dynamics of interacting charged particles in an external potential at finite temperature. The recently devised time-dependent quantum Monte Carlo (TDQMC) method allows a self-consistent treatment of the system of particles together with bath oscillators first for imaginary-time propagation of Schrödinger type of equations where both the system and the bath converge to their finite temperature ground state, and next for real time calculation where the dissipative dynamics is demonstrated. In that context the application of TDQMC appears as promising alternative to the path-integral related techniques where the real time propagation can be a challenge.     

Monte Carlo Hamiltonian:Inverse Potential

The Monte Carlo Hamiltonian method developed recently allows to investigate the ground state and low-lying excited states of a quantum system, using Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm with importance sampling. However, conventional MC algorithm has some difficulties when applied to inverse potentials. We propose to use effective potential and extrapolation method to solve the problem. We present examples from the hydrogen system.     

Data assimilation using a GPU accelerated path integral Monte Carlo approach

The answers to data assimilation questions can be expressed as path integrals over all possible state and parameter histories. We show how these path integrals can be evaluated numerically using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method designed to run in parallel on a graphics processing unit (GPU). We demonstrate the application of the method to an example with a transmembrane voltage time series of a simulated neuron as an input, and using a Hodgkin–Huxley neuron model. By taking advantage of GPU computing, we gain a parallel speedup factor of up to about 300, compared to an equivalent serial computation on a CPU, with performance increasing as the length of the observation time used for data assimilation increases.     

Monte Carlo Study of Localization on a One-Dimensional Lattice

We study the equilibrium properties of a single quantum particle interacting with a classical lattice gas. We develop a path-integral formalism in which the quantum particle is represented by a closed, variable-step random walk on the lattice. After demonstrating that a Metropolis algorithm correctly predicts the properties of a free particle, we extend it to investigate the behavior of the quantum particle interacting with the lattice gas. Evidence of weak localization is observed under conditions of quenched disorder, while self-trapping clearly occurs for the fully annealed system. Compared with continuous space systems, convergence of Monte Carlo simulations in this minimum model is orders of magnitude faster in cpu time. Therefore the system behavior can be investigated for a much larger domain of thermodynamic parameters (e.g., density and temperature) in a reasonable time.     

Configurational entropy of adsorbed rigid rods: Theory and Monte Carlo simulations

The configurational entropy of straight rigid rods of length k (k-mers) adsorbed on square, honeycomb, and triangular lattices is studied by combining theory and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in grand canonical and canonical ensembles. Three theoretical models to treat k-mer adsorption on two-dimensional lattices have been discussed: (i) the Flory-Huggins approximation and its modification to address linear adsorbates; (ii) the well-known Guggenheim-DiMarzio approximation; and (iii) a simple semi-empirical model obtained by combining exact one-dimensional calculations, its extension to higher dimensions and Guggenheim-DiMarzio approach. On the other hand, grand canonical and canonical MC calculations of the configurational entropy were obtained by using a thermodynamic integration technique. In the second case, the method relies upon the definition of an artificial Hamiltonian associated with the system of interest for which the entropy of a reference state can be exactly known. Thermodynamic integration is then applied to calculate the entropy in a given state of the system of interest. Comparisons between MC simulations and theoretical results were used to test the accuracy and reliability of the models studied.     

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of three-dimensional self-assembled quantum dot islands

By three-dimensional kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, the effects of the temperature, the flux rate, the total coverage and the interruption time on the distribution and the number of self-assembled InAs/GaAs(001) quantum dot(QD) islands are studied, which shows that a higher temperature, a lower flux rate and a longer growth time correspond to a better island distribution. The relations between the number of islands and the temperature and the flux rate are also successfully simulated. It is observed that for the total coverage lower than 0.5 ML, the number of islands decreases with the temperature increasing and other growth parameters fixed and the number of islands increases with the flux rate increasing when the deposition is lower than 0.6 ML and the other parameters are fixed.     

Adsorption in one-dimensional channels arranged in a triangular structure: Theory and Monte Carlo simulations

Adsorption thermodynamics of interacting particles adsorbed on one-dimensional channels arranged in a triangular cross-sectional structure is studied through Bragg-Williams approximation (BWA), Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and the recently reported Effective Substates approximation (ESA) [J.L. Riccardo, G. Zgrablich, W. A. Steele, Appl. Surf. Sci. 196 (2002) 138]. Two kinds of lateral interaction energies have been considered: (1) w_L, interaction energy between nearest-neighbor particles adsorbed along a single channel and (2) w_T, interaction energy between particles adsorbed across nearest-neighbor channels. We focus on the case of repulsive transversal interactions (w_T>0), for which a rich variety of ordered phases are observed in the adlayer, depending on the value of the parameters k_BT/w_T (being k_B the Boltzmann constant) and w_L/w_T. Comparisons between analytical data and MC simulations are performed in order to test the validity of the theoretical models. Appreciable differences can be seen for the different approximations, ESA being the most accurate for all cases.     

Coupling control variates for Markov chain Monte Carlo

We show that Markov couplings can be used to improve the accuracy of Markov chain Monte Carlo calculations in some situations where the steady-state probability distribution is not explicitly known. The technique generalizes the notion of control variates from classical Monte Carlo integration. We illustrate it using two models of nonequilibrium transport.     

Accelerated Monte Carlo for Optimal Estimation of Time Series

Asbstract By casting stochastic optimal estimation of time series in path integral form, one can apply analytical and computational techniques of equilibrium statistical mechanics. In particular, one can use standard or accelerated Monte Carlo methods for smoothing, filtering and/or prediction. Here we demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of generalized (nonlocal) hybrid Monte Carlo and multigrid methods applied to optimal estimation, specifically smoothing. We test these methods on a stochastic diffusion dynamics in a bistable potential. This particular problem has been chosen to illustrate the speedup due to the nonlocal sampling technique, and because there is an available optimal solution which can be used to validate the solution via the hybrid Monte Carlo strategy. In addition to showing that the nonlocal hybrid Monte Carlo is statistically accurate, we demonstrate a significant speedup compared with other strategies, thus making it a practical alternative to smoothing/filtering and data assimilation on problems with state vectors of fairly large dimensions, as well as a large total number of time steps.     

在工科物理中引入费曼路径积分理论

用费曼的路径积分理论来表述量子力学,将经典力学作为Ｓ〉〉ｈ的极限情况纳入量子力学的理论框架。     

(3 1)-Dimensional Quantum Mechanics from Monte Carlo Hamiltonian: Harmonic Oscillator

In Lagrangian formulation, it is extremely difficult to compute the excited spectrum and wavefunctions ora quantum theory via Monte Carlo methods. Recently, we developed a Monte Carlo Hamiltonian method for investigating this hard problem and tested the algorithm in quantum-mechanical systems in 1 1 and 2t1 dimensions. In this paper we apply it to the study of thelow-energy quantum physics of the (3 1)-dimensional harmonic oscillator.``     

Monte Carlo simulations of jet quenching in heavy ion collisions

Jet quenching is one of the major discoveries of the heavy-ion program at Rhic. While there is a wealth of data from Rhic that will soon be supplemented with measurements at the Lhc, on the theoretical side the situation is less clear. A thorough understanding of jet quenching is, however, beneficial, as it is expected that medium-induced modifications of jets allow one to characterise properties of the QCD matter produced in heavy ion collisions. This talk aims at summarising the main ideas and concepts of the currently available Monte Carlo models for jet quenching.     

Auxiliary-field Monte Carlo methods

I discuss Monte Carlo algorithms for quantum many-body systems that employ an auxiliary field to linearize a two-body interaction. These reduce the evaluation of the partition function to sampling many one-body evolutions in a fluctuating field. Fermions and bosons are treated on an equal footing. Applications to potential models and to quantum spin systems are discussed. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, grants PHY82-07332 and PHY85-05682. The potential-model studies were done in collaboration with G. Sugiyama, while A. Khan and T. Troudet were responsible for the work on the quantum spin systems.