Title: Non-orthogonal determinants in multi-Slater-Jastrow trial wave functions for fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo
Abstract: The accuracy and efficiency of ab initio Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) algorithms benefit greatly from compact variational trial wave functions that accurately reproduce ground state properties of a system. We investigate the possibility of using multi-Slater-Jastrow trial wave functions with non-orthogonal determinants by optimizing identical single particle orbitals independently in separate determinants. As a test case, we compute variational and fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo (FN-DMC) energies of a C2 molecule. For a given multi-determinant expansion, we find that this non-orthogonal orbital optimization results in a consistent improvement in the variational energy and the FN-DMC energy on the order of a few tenths of an eV. In some cases, fewer non-orthogonal determinants are required compared to orthogonal ones in order to achieve similar accuracy in FN-DMC. Our calculations indicate that trial wave functions with non-orthogonal determinants can improve computed energies in a QMC calculation when compared to their orthogonal counterparts.