arXiv subjects

Ivan Duchemin

Publications and source records attributed to Ivan Duchemin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Stability and optoelectronic properties of oligothiophene molecules confined in boron-nitride nanotubes : A many-body theoretical approach

We investigate the structural and optoelectronic properties of oligothiophene (nT) molecules encapsulated in boron-nitride (BN) nanotubes using density functional theory, many-body GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation approaches. We show that the binding energy is maximized for tube diameters of approximately 10 {\AA}, decreasing gradually for larger diameters. The nT molecules can slide along the tube with a corrugation potential smaller than room temperature thermal energy, promoting their head-to-tail aggregation. Regarding the electronic properties, we find that hybridization with the tube electronic states has a much smaller effect than that of screening, which can close the nT photoemission gap by as much as an eV. A simple model for the polarization of the BN tube demonstrates how these polarization effects decrease with increasing nT molecule length and BN tube diameter. Compared to the gas phase optical properties, structural relaxation, hybridization, and screening can redshift the absorption onset by up to 250 meV for isolated intercalated nTs. Additionally, the study of a head-to-tail sexithiophene dimer reveals an exciton-exciton interaction that splits the absorption onset into a lowest bright exciton, separated by approximately 75 meV from a dark peak. This suggests possible collective effects upon the formation of nT chains inside BN tubes. Our results confirm and clarify experimental data, mitigating the conclusion that insulating BN tubes just act as a protecting environment for encapsulated molecules.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Efficient analytic continuation approach to Bethe-Salpeter excitation spectra in selected energy windows

We explore the merits of building the Bethe-Salpeter absorption spectrum in a specific energy range using analytic continuation techniques. Specifically, we calculate iteratively a few $\bar{\bar \alpha}(z_k)$ polarizability tensors for a coarse set of $(z_k)$ frequencies in the complex-plane. These data allow constructing a continued-fraction representation for $\bar{\bar{\alpha}}(z)$ that is used to calculate the absorption spectrum close to the real energy axis in the desired energy range. The number and location of these sampling complex frequencies are discussed. The importance of building a continued-fraction representation of the full polarizability tensor with matrix-valued coefficients is emphasized. We show how to extract the poles of the continued fraction as a tool for analyzing the resulting spectra. We study as examples the valence excitations of a paradigmatic dipeptide, the C$_{60}$ fullerene and its PCBM derivative, together with the description of the surface plasmon resonance of the Ag$_{20}$ silver cluster. Further, the high-energy C$_{60}$ X-ray absorption spectrum is explored.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Optical spectra of small silver clusters with the Bethe-Salpeter formalism: a Reassessment

We study the optical absorption spectra of small Ag_n (n=2,4,6,8) clusters using the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) formalism with a Hamiltonian built from GW quasiparticle energies. Calculations are based on an effective core potential including the 4sp shells in the valence. Non-self-consistent G0W0 calculations relying on input Kohn-Sham eigenstates generated with semilocal functionals lead to very poor BSE absorption spectra, confirming a previous observation. However, eigenvalue or quasiparticle self-consistent GW calculations dramatically improves the agreement with experiments and TD-DFT spectra obtained with range-separated hybrid functionals. The importance of the position of the 4d occupied band is emphasized.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Strange metal transport from coupling to fluctuating spins

Metals hosting strong electronic interactions, including high-temperature superconductors, behave in ways that do not conform to normal Fermi liquid theory. To pinpoint the microscopic origin of this strange metal behavior, here we reexamine the d.c. and frequency-dependent conductivity of the two-dimensional t-J model taking advantage of recent improvements made on the finite temperature Lanczos method, enabling numerically exact calculations at unprecedentedly low temperatures and high spectral resolution. We find that strange metallicity is pervasive in the temperature-doping phase diagram whenever anti-ferromagnetic order is suppressed, and advocate that key insights on Planckian relaxation can be gained by extending the study to the frequency and time domain. Our results indicate that Planckian behavior does not originate from the scattering properties of the current carriers, being instead rooted in the quantum statistical nature of the charge response.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Joint Approximate Diagonalization approach to Quasiparticle Self-Consistent $GW$ calculations

We introduce an alternative route to quasiparticle self-consistent $GW$ calculations ($\mathrm{qs}GW$) on the basis of a Joint Approximate Diagonalization of the one-body $GW$ Green's functions $G(\varepsilon_n^{QP})$ taken at the input quasiparticle energies. Such an approach allows working with the full dynamical self-energy, without approximating the latter by a symmetrized static form as in the standard $\mathrm{qs}GW$ scheme. Calculations on the $GW$100 molecular test set lead nevertheless to a good agreement, at the 65 meV mean-absolute-error accuracy on the ionization potential, with respect to the conventional $\mathrm{qs}GW$ approach. We show further that constructing the density matrix from the full Green's function as in the fully self-consistent $\mathrm{sc}GW$ scheme, and not from the occupied quasiparticle one-body orbitals, allows obtaining a scheme intermediate between $\mathrm{qs}GW$ and $\mathrm{sc}GW$ approaches, closer to CCSD(T) reference values.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Polarizable Continuum Models and Green's Function $\bf{GW}$ Formalism: On the Dynamics of the Solvent Electrons

The many-body $GW$ formalism, for the calculation of ionization potentials or electronic affinities, relies on the frequency-dependent dielectric function built from the electronic degrees of freedom. Considering the case of water as a solvent treated within the polarizable continuum model, we explore the impact of restricting the full frequency-dependence of the solvent electronic dielectric response to a frequency-independent $(\epsilon_\infty)$ optical dielectric constant. For solutes presenting small to large highest-occupied to lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, we show that such a restriction induces errors no larger than a few percent on the energy level shifts from the gas to the solvated phase. We further introduce a remarkably accurate single-pole model for mimicking the effect of the full frequency dependence of the water dielectric function in the visible-UV range. This allows a fully dynamical embedded $GW$ calculation with the only knowledge of the cavity reaction field calculated for the $\epsilon_\infty$ optical dielectric constant.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Reference CC3 Excitation Energies for Organic Chromophores: Benchmarking TD-DFT, BSE/$GW$ and Wave Function Methods

To expand the QUEST database of highly-accurate vertical transition energies, we consider a series of large organic chromogens ubiquitous in dye chemistry, such as anthraquinone, azobenzene, BODIPY, and naphthalimide. We compute, at the CC3 level of theory, the singlet and triplet vertical transition energies associated with the low-lying excited states. This leads to a collection of more than 120 new highly-accurate excitation energies. Subsequently, we employ these reference values to benchmark a series of lower-order wave function approaches, including the popular ADC(2) and CC2 schemes, as well as time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT), both with and without applying the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA). At the TD-DFT level, we evaluate a large panel of global, range-separated, local, and double hybrid functionals. Additionally, we assess the performance of the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) formalism relying on both $G_0W_0$ and ev$GW$ quasiparticle energies evaluated from various starting points. It turns out that CC2 and ADC(2.5) are the most accurate models amongst those with respective $\mathcal{O}(N^5)$ and $\mathcal{O}(N^6)$ scalings with system size. In contrast, CCSD does not outperform CC2. The best performing exchange-correlation functionals include BMK, M06-2X, M06-SX, CAM-B3LYP, $\omega$B97X-D, and LH20t, with average deviations of approximately 0.20 eV or slightly below. Errors on vertical excitation energies can be further reduced by considering double hybrids. Both SOS-$\omega$B88PP86 and SOS-$\omega$PBEPP86 exhibit particularly attractive performances with overall quality on par with CC2, whereas PBE0-DH and PBE-QIDH are only slightly less efficient. BSE/ev$GW$ calculations based on Kohn-Sham starting points have been found to be particularly effective for singlet transitions, but much less for their triplet counterparts.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2024

From many-body ab initio to effective excitonic models: a versatile mapping approach including environmental embedding effects

We present an original multi-state projective diabatization scheme based on the Green's function formalism that allows the systematic mapping of many-body ab initio calculations onto effective excitonic models. This method inherits the ability of the Bethe-Salpeter equation to describe Frenkel molecular excitons and intermolecular charge-transfer states equally well, as well as the possibility for an effective description of environmental effects in a QM/MM framework. The latter is found to be a crucial element in order to obtain accurate model parameters for condensed phases and to ensure their transferability to excitonic models for extended systems. The method is presented through a series of examples illustrating its quality, robustness, and internal consistency.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2024

Static versus dynamically polarizable environments within the many-body $\bf{GW}$ formalism

Continuum or discrete polarizable models for the study of optoelectronic processes in embedded subsystems rely mostly on the restriction of the surrounding electronic dielectric response to its low frequency limit. Such a description hinges on the assumption that the electrons in the surrounding medium react instantaneously to any excitation in the central subsystem, treating thus the environment in the adiabatic limit. Exploiting a recently developed embedded $GW$ formalism, with an environment described at the fully ab initio level, we assess the merits of the adiabatic limit with respect to an environment where the full dynamics of the dielectric response is considered. Further, we show how to properly take the static limit of the environment susceptibility, introducing the so-called Coulomb-hole and screened-exchange contributions to the reaction field. As a first application, we consider a C$_{60}$ molecule at the surface of a C$_{60}$ crystal, namely a case where the dynamics of the embedded and embedding subsystems are similar. The common adiabatic assumption, when properly treated, generates errors below $10\%$ on the polarization energy associated with frontier energy levels and associated energy gaps. Finally, we consider a water molecule inside a metallic nanotube, the worst case for the environment adiabatic limit. The error on the gap polarization energy remains below $10\%$, even though the error on the frontier orbitals polarization energies can reach a few tenths of an electronvolt.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

On the Role of Charge Transfer Excitations in Non-Fullerene Acceptors for Organic Photovoltaics

Through the development of new non-fullerene electron acceptor (NFA) materials, such as Y6 and its molecular derivatives, the power conversion efficiencies of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have now exceeded 19%. However, despite this rapid progress, our fundamental understanding of the unique optical and electronic properties of these Y-series NFAs is lacking, and this currently limits progress in material design. In this work, we provide a detailed computational-experimental characterisation of the archetypal NFA, Y6. To explain the significant broadening and red shift of the absorption spectrum observed when moving from the solution phase to the solid state, we first rule out more typical causes, such as J-aggregation. Instead, by considering the role of charge transfer (CT) excitations and their mixing with Frenkel exciton (FE) states, we can computationally reproduce the experimental absorption spectra of Y6 with excellent accuracy. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we provide evidence for this dense manifold of FE-CT hybrid electronic excitations in Y6 through the prominent sub-picosecond relaxation events following supra band gap excitation. Furthermore, through sub band gap excitation, we also find states with polaronic character in Y6 that are in a dynamic equilibrium with the FE-CT hybrid states. Magnetic resonance spectroscopies reveal that these polaronic states are polaron pairs, most likely located on neighbouring Y6 molecules, not free charge carriers, as has been previously suggested. Thus, this new understanding of how the solid-state packing motif directly controls the optical and electronic properties of Y-series NFAs opens the door to intelligently design NFA materials to further increase OPV performance.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Many-body $GW$ calculations with very large scale polarizable environments made affordable: a fully ab initio QM/QM approach

We present a many-body $GW$ formalism for quantum subsystems embedded in discrete polarizable environments containing up to several hundred thousand atoms described at a fully ab initio random phase approximation level. Our approach is based on a fragment approximation in the construction of the Green's function and independent-electron susceptibilities. Further, the environing fragments susceptibility matrices are reduced to a minimal but accurate representation preserving low order polarizability tensors through a constrained minimization scheme. This approach dramatically reduces the cost associated with inverting the Dyson equation for the screened Coulomb potential $W$, while preserving the description of short to long-range screening effects. The efficiency and accuracy of the present scheme is exemplified in the paradigmatic cases of fullerene bulk, surface, subsurface, and slabs with varying number of layers.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2023

Computing photoionization spectra in Gaussian basis sets

We present a method to compute the photoionization spectra of atoms and molecules in linear response time-dependent density functional theory. The electronic orbital variations corresponding to ionized electrons are expanded on a basis set of delocalized functions obtained as the solution of the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation with gaussian basis set functions as right-hand side. The resulting scheme is able to reproduce photoionization spectra without any need for artificial regularization or localization. We demonstrate that it is able to produce accurate spectra for semilocal exchange-correlation functionals even using relatively small standard gaussian basis sets.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2022

Universal polarization energies for defects in monolayer, surface and bulk hexagonal boron nitride : A finite-size fragments GW approach

We study defect energy levels in hexagonal boron-nitride with varying number of layers using a fragment many-body $GW$ formalism, taking as examples the paradigmatic carbon-dimer and $C_BV_N$ defects. We show that a single layer can be fragmented in polarizable finite-size areas reproducing faithfully the effect of the dielectric environment, dramatically facilitating the study at the many-body level of point defects in the dilute limit. The evolution of defect energy levels from the monolayer to a $n$-layer system due to increased screening, labeled polarization energies, follow a simple $({ΔP}/n + P_{\infty})$ behavior. The coefficients $ΔP$ and $P_{\infty}$ are found to be close-to-universal, with opposite signs for holes and electrons, characterizing mainly the host and the position of the defect (surface or bulk), but hardly the defect type. Our results rationalize the evolution of defect energy levels with layers number, allowing to safely extrapolate results obtained for the monolayer to few-layers, surface or bulk \textit{h}-BN. The present many-body fragment approach further opens the door to studying disordered 2D layers.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Efficient extraction of resonant states in systems with defects

We introduce a new numerical method to compute resonances induced by localized defects in crystals. This method solves an integral equation in the defect region to compute analytic continuations of resolvents. Such an approach enables one to express the resonance in terms of a "resonance source", a function that is strictly localized within the defect region. The kernel of the integral equation, to be applied on such a source term, is the Green function of the perfect crystal, which we show can be computed efficiently by a complex deformation of the Brillouin zone, named Brillouin Complex Deformation (BCD), thereby extending to reciprocal space the concept of complex coordinate transformations.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

Photoluminescent properties of the carbon-dimer defect in hexagonal boron-nitride: a many-body finite-size cluster approach

We study the carbon dimer defect in a hexagonal boron-nitride monolayer using the GW and Bethe-Salpeter many-body perturbation theories within a finite size cluster approach. While quasiparticle energies converge very slowly with system size due to missing long-range polarization effects, optical excitations converge much faster, with a $1/R^3$ scaling law with respect to cluster average radius. We obtain a luminescence zero-phonon energy of 4.36 eV, including significant 0.13 eV zero-point vibrational energy and 0.15 eV reorganization energy contributions. Inter-layer screening decreases further the emission energy by about 0.3 eV. These results bring support to the recent identification of the substitutional carbon dimer as the likely source of the zero-phonon 4.1 eV luminescence line. Finally, the GW quasiparticle energies are extrapolated to the infinite h-BN monolayer limit, leading to a predicted defect HOMO-LUMO photoemission gap of 7.6 eV. Comparison with the optical gap yields a very large excitonic binding energy of 3 eV for the associated localized Frenkel exciton.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Cubic-scaling all-electron GW calculations with a separable density-fitting space-time approach

We present an implementation of the $GW$ space-time approach that allows cubic-scaling all-electron calculations with standard Gaussian basis sets without exploiting any localization nor sparsity considerations. The independent-electron susceptibility is constructed in a time representation over a non-uniform distribution of real-space locations $\lbrace {\bf r}_k \rbrace$ optimized within a separable resolution-of-the-identity framework to reproduce standard Coulomb-fitting calculations with meV accuracy. The compactness of the obtained $\lbrace {\bf r}_k \rbrace$ distribution leads to a crossover with the standard Coulomb-fitting scheme for system sizes below a few hundred electrons. The needed analytic continuation follows a recent approach that requires the continuation of the screened Coulomb potential rather than the much more structured self-energy. The present scheme is benchmarked over large molecular sets and scaling properties are demonstrated on a family of defected hexagonal boron-nitride flakes containing up to 6000 electrons.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2020

The Bethe-Salpeter Equation Formalism: From Physics to Chemistry

The Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) formalism is steadily asserting itself as a new efficient and accurate tool in the ensemble of computational methods available to chemists in order to predict optical excitations in molecular systems. In particular, the combination of the so-called $GW$ approximation, giving access to reliable ionization energies and electron affinities, and the BSE formalism, able to model UV/Vis spectra, has shown to provide accurate singlet excitation energies with a typical error of $0.1$--$0.3$ eV. With a similar computational cost as time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT), BSE is able to provide an accuracy on par with the most accurate global and range-separated hybrid functionals without the unsettling choice of the exchange-correlation functional, resolving further known issues (\textit{e.g.}, charge-transfer excitations). In this \textit{Perspective} article, we provide a historical overview of BSE, with a particular focus on its condensed-matter roots. We also propose a critical review of its strengths and weaknesses in different chemical situations.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2020

Pros and Cons of the Bethe-Salpeter Formalism for Ground-State Energies

The combination of the many-body Green's function $GW$ approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) formalism has shown to be a promising alternative to time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) for computing vertical transition energies and oscillator strengths in molecular systems. The BSE formalism can also be employed to compute ground-state correlation energies thanks to the adiabatic-connection fluctuation-dissipation theorem (ACFDT). Here, we study the topology of the ground-state potential energy surfaces (PES) of several diatomic molecules near their equilibrium bond length. Thanks to comparisons with state-of-art computational approaches (CC3), we show that ACFDT@BSE is surprisingly accurate, and can even compete with lower-order coupled cluster methods (CC2 and CCSD) in terms of total energies and equilibrium bond distances for the considered systems. However, we sometimes observe unphysical irregularities on the ground-state PES in relation with difficulties in the identification of a few $GW$ quasiparticle energies.

physics.chem-ph↗