Perspective: "Relativity + Correlation + QED = Experiment''

TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenge of achieving high-precision electronic structure calculations by simultaneously incorporating relativistic, correlation, and QED effects, emphasizing the complexities introduced by spin-orbit interactions.

Contribution

It highlights the difficulties in modeling electron correlation with relativistic and QED effects, especially when spin-orbit interactions break spin symmetry, and discusses potential solutions.

Findings

Relativistic and QED effects can be integrated into the Hamiltonian.

Electron correlation modeling is complicated by exponential parameter growth.

Spin-orbit interactions break spin symmetry, complicating correlation treatment.

Abstract

The ultimate goal of electronic structure calculations is to make the left and right hand sides of the titled ``equation'' as close as possible. This requires high-precision treatment of relativistic, correlation, and quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects simultaneously. While both relativistic and QED effects can readily be built into the many-electron Hamiltonian, electron correlation is more difficult to describe due to the exponential growth of the number of parameters in the wave function. Compared with the spin-free case, spin-orbit interaction results in the loss of spin symmetry and concomitant complex algebra, thereby rendering the treatment of electron correlation even more difficult. Possible solutions to these issues are highlighted here.