A Constrained-Path Quantum Monte-Carlo Approach for the Nuclear Shell Model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel constrained-path Quantum Monte-Carlo method for the nuclear shell model, effectively addressing sign problems and accurately predicting low-lying nuclear states.

Contribution

It develops a variational symmetry-restored wave-function guided QMC approach with a fixed-node approximation for nuclear shell model calculations.

Findings

Successfully applied to sd and pf valence spaces

Achieves nearly exact yrast spectroscopies

Handles both even- and odd-mass nuclei

Abstract

A new Quantum Monte-Carlo (QMC) approach is proposed to investigate low-lying states of nuclei within the shell model. The formalism relies on a variational symmetry-restored wave-function to guide the underlying Brownian motion. Sign/phase problems that usually plague QMC fermionic simulations are controlled by constraining stochastic paths through a fixed-node like approximation. Exploratory results in the sd and pf valence spaces with realistic effective interactions are presented. They prove the ability of the scheme to yield nearly exact yrast spectroscopies for both even- and odd-mass nuclei.