The QQ-Interface module connects the full quantum nonadiabatic wavefunction propagation code Quantics to the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) module of the electronic structure program Q-Chem. Q-Chem provides analytic gradients, Hessians and derivative couplings at TDDFT level. With this module, it is possible to use the Q-Chem TDDFT module for excited state direct dynamics calculations. Quantics will start Q-Chem calculations whenever needed, prepare the input file from a template and will read the Q-Chem output file. The Q-Chem results are stored in the Quantics database and can be used in dynamics simulations. Due to the modular design of Quantics the TDDFT module of Q-Chem can be used for all dynamics simulations, e.g. direct dynamics variational multi-configurational Gaussian (dd-vMCG) or surface hopping simulations.
This module is part of a set of new functionalities developed for the Quantics program package during the E-CAM Extended Software Development Worksop: Quantum MD held at the University College Dublin.
Practical application and exploitation of the code
The module will be used to examine the nonadiabatic excited state dynamics of small to medium-sized molecules. The TDDFT module of Q-Chem allows treating systems that are too large for efficient multireference, such as CASSCF calculations. Until now photoinduced dynamics simulations of such molecules were only possible using trajectory-based algorithms. With Quantics a full quantum-mechanical description of the nuclear motion is possible.
