Formulation and implementation of a unitary group adapted state universal multi-reference coupled cluster (UGA-SUMRCC) theory: Excited and ionized state energies

The traditional state universal multi-reference coupled cluster (SUMRCC) theory uses the Jeziorski-Monkhorst (JM) based Ansatz of the wave operator: Ω = ∑(μ)Ω(μ)∣φ(μ)??φ(μ)∣, where Ω(μ) = exp?(T(μ)) is the cluster representation of the component of Ω inducing virtual excitations from the model function φ(μ). In the first formulations, φ(μ)s were chosen to be single determinants and T(μ)s were defined in terms of spinorbitals. This leads to spin-contamination for the non-singlet cases. In this paper, we propose and implement an explicitly spin-free realization of the SUMRCC theory. This method uses spin-free unitary generators in defining the cluster operators, {T(μ)}, which even at singles-doubles truncation, generates non-commuting cluster operators. We propose the use of normal-ordered exponential parameterization for Ω:∑(μ){exp?(T(μ))}∣φ(μ)??φ(μ)∣, where {} denotes the normal ordering with respect to a common closed shell vacuum which makes the "direct term" of the SUMRCC equations terminate at the quartic power. We choose our model functions {φ(μ)} as unitary group adapted (UGA) Gel'fand states which is why we call our theory UGA-SUMRCC. In the spirit of the original SUMRCC, we choose exactly the right number of linearly independent cluster operators in {T(μ)} such that no redundancies in the virtual functions {χ(μ) (l)} are involved. Using example applications for electron detached/attached and h-p excited states relative to a closed shell ground state we discuss how to choose the most compact and non-redundant cluster operators. Although there exists a more elaborate spin-adapted JM-like ansatz of Datta and Mukherjee (known as combinatoric open-shell CC (COS-CC), its working equations are more complex. Results are compared with those from COS-CC, equation of motion coupled cluster methods, restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock coupled cluster, and full configuration interaction. We observe that our results are more accurate with respect to most other theories as a result of the use of the cluster expansion structure for our wave operator. Our results are comparable to those from the more involved COS-CC, indicating that our theory captures the most important aspects of physics with a considerably simpler scheme.