Young Researchers Workshop: Stochastic and deterministic methods in kinetic theory


Towards a mathematical understanding of surface hopping algorithms

Zhennan Zhou

Duke University
[SLIDES]

Abstract:  

We develop a surface hopping algorithm based on frozen Gaussian approximation for semiclassical matrix Schrödinger equations. The algorithm is asymptotically derived from the Schrödinger equation with rigorous approximation error analysis. The resulting algorithm can be viewed as a path integral stochastic representation of the semiclassical matrix Schrödinger equations. Our results provide mathematical understanding to and shed new light on the important class of surface hopping methods in theoretical and computational chemistry. Also, I would like to report our recent progress on the improved surface hopping algorithm with various numerical tests.