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Unraveling molecular quantum dynamics with accelerated ab initio algorithms

Objective

Many physical and chemical processes in nature as well as an increasing number of man-made devices exploit the quantum properties of electrons, nuclei, and the quantum signatures of the coupling between nuclear and electronic motions. To optimize the design of novel devices and to correctly interpret physical processes studied, e.g. by experiments probing the molecular dynamics induced by interactions with ultrafast laser pulses, quantitative simulations are required. Although ninety years have passed since the discovery of Schrödinger’s equation, these simulations remain extremely difficult for systems with more than a few degrees of freedom. While some physicists are satisfied with a theoretical model that describes the system qualitatively, in chemistry the promising term ``ab initio quantum molecular dynamics'' is frequently misused for methods treating nuclear motion classically and using quantum mechanics only for electrons. The first goal of this project is, therefore, to bridge these two philosophies and combine accurate ab initio electronic structure calculations with accurate quantum or semiclassical treatment of the nuclear dynamics. Since the exact solution of time-dependent Schrödinger’s equation scales exponentially with the number of atoms, accelerating computers even by orders of magnitude will not break the exponential barrier to simulating molecular quantum dynamics. The second goal of this project is, therefore, developing and implementing both exact and approximate computationally efficient quantum dynamics methods applicable to polyatomic molecules. The last goal of the project is developing systematic methods for interpreting spectra of complex systems in terms of the underlying nuclear and electronic dynamics. To summarize in simple terms, the ultimate objective is developing theoretical methods that will allow replacing the popular classical molecular dynamics movies by their quantum analogs.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.

Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2015-CoG

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Host institution

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 998 638,00
Address
BATIMENT CE 3316 STATION 1
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 998 638,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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