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Title: Flexible nuclear screening approximation to the two-electron spin–orbit coupling based on ab initio parameterization

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4832737· OSTI ID:22251322
;  [1]
  1. Department of Theoretical and Computational Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585 (Japan)

The derivation, implementation, and validation of a new approximation to the two-electron spin–orbit coupling (SOC) terms is reported. The approximation, referred to as flexible nuclear screening spin–orbit, is based on the effective one-electron spin–orbit operator and accounts for two-electron SOC effects by screening nuclear charges. A highly flexible scheme for the nuclear screening is developed, mainly using parameterization based on ab initio atomic SOC calculations. Tabulated screening parameters are provided for contracted and primitive Gaussian-type basis functions of the ANO-RCC basis set for elements from H to Cm. The strategy for their adaptation to any other Gaussian basis set is presented and validated. A model to correct for the effect of splitting of transition metal d orbitals on their SOC matrix elements is introduced. The method is applied to a representative set of molecules, and compared to exact treatment and other approximative approaches at the same level of relativistic theory. The calculated SOC matrix elements are in very good agreement with their “exact” values; deviation below 1% is observed on average. The presented approximation is considered to be generally applicable, simple to implement, highly efficient, and accurate.

OSTI ID:
22251322
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 139, Issue 20; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English