Quantifying errors of the electron-proton/muon correlation functionals through the Kohn-Sham inversion of a two-component model system

TL;DR

This study evaluates the accuracy of recent local electron-proton/muon correlation functionals using a two-particle model and Kohn-Sham inversion, highlighting their successes and limitations in reproducing correlation potentials.

Contribution

It provides a detailed error analysis of existing local correlation functionals in a two-component model, guiding future functional development.

Findings

Functionals accurately reproduce densities and correlation energies.

All functionals fail to correctly reproduce correlation potentials.

Density-driven errors significantly influence functional performance.

Abstract

The multi-component density functional theory is faced with the challenge of capturing various types of inter- and intra-particle exchange-correlation effects beyond those introduced by the conventional electronic exchange-correlation functionals. Herein, we focus on evaluating the electron-proton/muon correlation functionals appearing in molecular/condensed-phase systems where a proton/muon is treated as a quantum particle on equal footing with electrons, beyond the Born-Oppenheimer paradigm. Five recently developed local correlation functionals, i.e., the epc series and e$\mu$c-1, are selected and their performances are analyzed by employing a two-particle model that includes an electron and a positively charged particle (PCP) with a variable mass, interacting through Coulombic forces, within a double harmonic trap. Using the Kohn-Sham (KS) inversion procedure, the exact two-component KS characterization of the model is deduced and its properties are compared to those derived from the considered functionals. The analysis demonstrates that these local functionals achieve their original parameterization objectives to reproduce the one-PCP densities and the electron-PCP correlation energies, but all fall short of reproducing the underlying PCP correlation potentials correctly. Moreover, a comprehensive error analysis reveals that the density-driven errors have a non-negligible contribution to the success of the considered functionals. Overall, the study shows the strengths as well as shortcomings of the considered functionals hopefully paving the way for designing more robust functionals in the future.