Neural networks for local structure detection in polymorphic systems

Author(s)
Philipp Geiger, Christoph Dellago
Abstract

The accurate identification and classification of local ordered and disordered structures is an important task in atomistic computer simulations. Here, we demonstrate that properly trained artificial neural networks can be used for this purpose. Based on a neural network approach recently developed for the calculation of energies and forces, the proposed method recognizes local atomic arrangements from a set of symmetry functions that characterize the environment around a given atom. The algorithm is simple and flexible and it does not rely on the definition of a reference frame. Using the Lennard-Jones system as well as liquid water and ice as illustrative examples, we show that the neural networks developed here detect amorphous and crystalline structures with high accuracy even in the case of complex atomic arrangements, for which conventional structure detection approaches are unreliable.

Organisation(s)
Computational and Soft Matter Physics
Journal
Journal of Chemical Physics
Volume
139
No. of pages
14
ISSN
0021-9606
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4825111
Publication date
10-2013
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103036 Theoretical physics, 103029 Statistical physics
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/d9f8555f-9594-4143-b0e3-84f5baca0768