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Variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) is demonstrated to be the promising methodology for quantum chemistry based on near-term quantum devices. However, many problems are yet to be investigated for this methodology, such as the influences of optimization algorithm and basis size on the accuracy and efficiency for quantum computing. To address these issues, five molecules (H2, LiH, HF, N2 and F2) are studied in this work based on the VQE method using unitary coupled cluster (UCC) ansatz. The performance of the gradient optimization L-BFGS-B is compared with that of the direct search method COBYLA. The former converges more quickly, but the accuracy of energy surface is a little lower. The basis set shows a vital influence on the accuracy and efficiency. A large basis set generally provides an accurate energy surface, but induces a significant increase in computing time. The 631g basis is generally required from the energy surface of the simplest H2 molecule. For practical applications of VQE, complete active space (CAS) is suggested based on limited quantum resources. With the same number of qubits, more occupied orbitals included in CAS gives a better accuracy for the energy surface and a smaller evaluation number in the VQE optimization. Additionally, the electronic structure, such as filling fraction of orbitals, the bond strength of a molecule and the maximum nuclear charge also influences the performance of optimization, where half occupation of orbitals generally requires a large computation cost., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, 1 table

While molecular machines play an increasingly significant role in nanoscience research and applications, there remains a shortage of investigations and understanding of the molecular gear (cogwheel), which is an indispensable and fundamental component to drive a larger correlated molecular machine system. Employing ab initio calculations, we investigate model systems consisting of molecules adsorbed on metal or graphene surfaces, ranging from very simple triple-arm gears such as PF3 and NH3 to larger multi-arm gears based on carbon rings. We explore in detail the transmission of slow rotational motion from one gear to the next by these relatively simple molecules, so as to isolate and reveal the mechanisms of the relevant intermolecular interactions. Several characteristics of molecular gears are discussed, in particular the flexibility of the arms and the slipping and skipping between interlocking arms of adjacent gears, which differ from familiar macroscopic rigid gears. The underlying theoretical concepts suggest strongly that other analogous structures may also exhibit similar behavior which may inspire future exploration in designing large correlated molecular machines.

Torque is ubiquitous in many molecular systems, including collisions, chemical reactions, vibrations, electronic excitations and especially rotor molecules. We present a straightforward theoretical method based on forces acting on atoms and obtained from atomistic quantum mechanics calculations, to quickly and qualitatively determine whether a molecule or sub-unit thereof has a tendency to rotation and, if so, around which axis and in which sense: clockwise or counterclockwise. The method also indicates which atoms, if any, are predominant in causing the rotation. Our computational approach can in general efficiently provide insights into the rotational ability of many molecules and help to theoretically screen or modify them in advance of experiments or before analyzing their rotational behavior in more detail with more extensive computations guided by the results from the torque approach. As an example, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach using a specific light-driven molecular rotary motor which was successfully synthesized and analyzed in prior experiments and simulations., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 1 SI file

A simple prototypical model of aromatic pi-pi stacking system -- benzene sandwich dimer is investigated by ab initio calculations based on second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and Minnesota hybrid functional M06-2X., Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures and 2 tables.(manuscript and supplementary information)

The covalent-like characteristics of hydrogen bonds offer a new perspective on intermolecular interactions. Here, using density functional theory and post-Hartree-Fock methods, we reveal that there are two bonding molecular orbitals (MOs) crossing the O and H atoms of the hydrogen-bond in water dimer. Energy decomposition analysis also shows a non-negligible contribution of the induction term. These results illustrate the covalent-like character of the hydrogen bond between water molecules, which contributes to the essential understanding of ice, liquid water, related materials, and life sciences., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures in text

The nonbonding interaction between benzene and methane, called CH-{\pi} interaction, plays an important role in physical, chemical, and biological fields. CH-{\pi} interaction can decrease the system total energy and promote the formation of special geometric configurations. This work investigates systemically the orbital distribution and composition of the benzene-methane complex for the first time using ab initio calculation based on different methods and basis sets. Surprisingly, we find strong deformation in HOMO-4 and LUMO+2 induced by CH-{\pi} interaction, extending the general view that nonbonding interaction does not cause orbital change of molecules., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures