{"id":{"repo_id":"cambridge","oai_identifier":"oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/288882"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cambridge/oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/288882","repository":{"repo_id":"cambridge","name":"Cambridge University","base_url":"https://api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Backflow and pairing wave function for quantum Monte Carlo methods","abstract":"Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods are a class of stochastic techniques that can be used to compute the properties of electronic systems accurately from first principles. This thesis is mainly concerned with the development of trial wave functions for QMC. An extension of the backflow transformation to inhomogeneous electronic systems is presented and applied to atoms, molecules and extended systems. The backflow transformation I have developed typically retrieves an additional 50% of the remaining correlation energy at the variational Monte Carlo level, and 30% at the diffusion Monte Carlo level; the number of parameters required to achieve a given fraction of the correlation energy does not appear to increase with system size. The expense incurred by the use of backflow transformations is investigated, and it is found to scale favourably with system size. Additionally, I propose a single wave function form for studying the electron-hole system which includes pairing effects and is capable of describing all of the relevant phases of this system. The effectiveness of this general wave function is demonstrated by applying it to a particular transition between two phases of the symmetric electron-hole bilayer, and it is found that using a single wave function form gives a more accurate physical description of the system than using a different wave function to describe each phase. Both of these developments are new, and they provide a powerful set of tools for designing accurate wave functions. Backflow transformations are particularly important for systems with repulsive interactions, while pairing wave functions are important for attractive interactions. It is possible to combine backflow and pairing to further increase the accuracy of the wave function. The wave function technology that I have developed should therefore be useful across a very wide range of problems.","abstract_html":"Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods are a class of stochastic techniques that can be used to compute the properties of electronic systems accurately from first principles. This thesis is mainly concerned with the development of trial wave functions for QMC. An extension of the backflow transformation to inhomogeneous electronic systems is presented and applied to atoms, molecules and extended systems. The backflow transformation I have developed typically retrieves an additional 50% of the remaining correlation energy at the variational Monte Carlo level, and 30% at the diffusion Monte Carlo level; the number of parameters required to achieve a given fraction of the correlation energy does not appear to increase with system size. The expense incurred by the use of backflow transformations is investigated, and it is found to scale favourably with system size. Additionally, I propose a single wave function form for studying the electron-hole system which includes pairing effects and is capable of describing all of the relevant phases of this system. The effectiveness of this general wave function is demonstrated by applying it to a particular transition between two phases of the symmetric electron-hole bilayer, and it is found that using a single wave function form gives a more accurate physical description of the system than using a different wave function to describe each phase. Both of these developments are new, and they provide a powerful set of tools for designing accurate wave functions. Backflow transformations are particularly important for systems with repulsive interactions, while pairing wave functions are important for attractive interactions. It is possible to combine backflow and pairing to further increase the accuracy of the wave function. The wave function technology that I have developed should therefore be useful across a very wide range of problems.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lopez Rios, Pablo"],"institution":"University of Cambridge","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Littlewood, Peter B","Needs, Richard J"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-10-22","date_published":"2016-10-22","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:24:27Z","subjects":["electronic structure","computational physics","continuum quantum monte carlo","diffusion monte carlo","wave function methods","quantum chemistry","total energy methods","monte carlo methods","schroedinger equation"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/4a774b53-b6a5-4b1e-9250-8910fcf4352b/download","https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:creator.authoridentifier","label":"Author Identifier","values":["0000000346660103"],"render_values":[{"text":"0000-0003-4666-0103","href":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4666-0103","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.36145","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.doi"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Littlewood, Peter B","Needs, Richard J"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.sponsor","label":"Sponsor","values":["European Commission"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lopez Rios, Pablo"]},{"key":"dc:creator.authoridentifier","label":"Author Identifier","values":["0000000346660103"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016-10-22"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cambridge"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby.uri","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby URI","values":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/288882"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["electronic structure","computational physics","continuum quantum monte carlo","diffusion monte carlo","wave function methods","quantum chemistry","total energy methods","monte carlo methods","schroedinger equation"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/4a774b53-b6a5-4b1e-9250-8910fcf4352b/download","https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["10.17863/CAM.36145"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/0a7ea98d-506c-49a7-a4a5-61afb472a8f7/download"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods are a class of stochastic techniques that can be used to compute the properties of electronic systems accurately from first principles. 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The effectiveness of this general wave function is demonstrated by applying it to a particular transition between two phases of the symmetric electron-hole bilayer, and it is found that using a single wave function form gives a more accurate physical description of the system than using a different wave function to describe each phase. Both of these developments are new, and they provide a powerful set of tools for designing accurate wave functions. Backflow transformations are particularly important for systems with repulsive interactions, while pairing wave functions are important for attractive interactions. It is possible to combine backflow and pairing to further increase the accuracy of the wave function. 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The effectiveness of this general wave function is demonstrated by applying it to a particular transition between two phases of the symmetric electron-hole bilayer, and it is found that using a single wave function form gives a more accurate physical description of the system than using a different wave function to describe each phase. Both of these developments are new, and they provide a powerful set of tools for designing accurate wave functions. Backflow transformations are particularly important for systems with repulsive interactions, while pairing wave functions are important for attractive interactions. It is possible to combine backflow and pairing to further increase the accuracy of the wave function. 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