Natps: Nonadiabatic Transition Path Sampling Using the Time-Reversible Mapping Approach to Surface Hopping

Author(s)
Xiran Yang, Madlen Maria Reiner, Brigitta Bachmair, Leticia González, Johannes C B Dietschreit, Christoph Dellago
Abstract

Rare nonadiabatic events play a central role in photochemistry but remain difficult to simulate because excited-state dynamics is computationally demanding and often stochastic. Here we introduce a deterministic and time-reversible implementation of nonadiabatic dynamics that enables the application of transition path sampling (TPS) to excited-state processes. Our approach builds on the mapping approach to surface hopping (MASH) and establishes the conditions required for path ensemble sampling, in particular, time reversibility and detailed balance. The combination of MASH with the TPS framework gives rise to a new method termed nonadiabatic transition path sampling (NATPS). We demonstrate its capabilities on a model system of electronically coupled potential energy surfaces, where it efficiently generates ensembles of reactive trajectories and provides mechanistic insight into nonadiabatic pathways. Compared with brute-force trajectory simulations and forward-flux sampling approaches, NATPS substantially reduces the computational effort required to obtain reactive trajectories.

Organisation(s)
Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Research Platform Accelerating Photoreaction Discovery, Computational and Soft Matter Physics
External organisation(s)
Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem), Vienna Doctoral School in Physics
Journal
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Volume
17
Pages
6014-6023
No. of pages
10
ISSN
1948-7185
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.6c00910
Publication date
05-2026
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
104017 Physical chemistry, 104016 Photochemistry
ASJC Scopus subject areas
General Materials Science, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/b4c1deee-cf6e-46c7-a129-b34cc014ade2