Extended vibrational coupled cluster: Stationary states and dynamics

For the first time, equations are derived for computing stationary vibrational states with extended vibrational coupled cluster (EVCC) and for propagating nuclear wave packets using time-dependent EVCC (TDEVCC). Expressions for energies, properties, and auto-correlation functions are given. For TDEVCC, convergence toward the ground state for imaginary-time propagation is shown, as well as separability in the case of non-interacting subsystems. The analysis focuses substantially on the difference between bra and ket parameterizations for EVCC and TDEVCC compared to normal vibrational coupled cluster (VCC) and time-dependent VCC (TDVCC). A pilot implementation is presented within a new full-space framework that offers easy access to completely general, albeit not efficient, implementations of alternative VCC variants, such as EVCC. The new methods were tested on 35 three- and six-mode molecular systems. Both EVCC[k] and TDEVCC[k] showed good, hierarchical convergence toward the exact limit. This convergence was generally better than for normal VCC[k] and TDVCC[k] and better still than for (time-dependent) vibrational configuration interaction, though this should be balanced with the higher computational complexity of EVCC. The results highlight the importance of exponential parameterizations and separability in general, as seen, in particular, for the TDEVCC bra parameterization, which is in contrast to the partially linear one of TDVCC. With the results being rooted in the general structures of coupled cluster (CC) theory, they are expected to be relevant to other applications of both normal and extended CC theory as well.