Book contents
- A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics
- A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Some necessary background
- 3 Simple sampling Monte Carlo methods
- 4 Importance sampling Monte Carlo methods
- 5 More on importance sampling Monte Carlo methods for lattice systems
- 6 Off-lattice models
- 7 Reweighting methods
- 8 Quantum Monte Carlo methods
- 9 Monte Carlo renormalization group methods
- 10 Non-equilibrium and irreversible processes
- 11 Lattice gauge models: a brief introduction
- 12 A brief review of other methods of computer simulation
- 13 Monte Carlo simulations at the periphery of physics and beyond
- 14 Monte Carlo studies of biological molecules
- 15 Emerging trends
- Index
- References
8 - Quantum Monte Carlo methods
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 November 2021
- A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics
- A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Some necessary background
- 3 Simple sampling Monte Carlo methods
- 4 Importance sampling Monte Carlo methods
- 5 More on importance sampling Monte Carlo methods for lattice systems
- 6 Off-lattice models
- 7 Reweighting methods
- 8 Quantum Monte Carlo methods
- 9 Monte Carlo renormalization group methods
- 10 Non-equilibrium and irreversible processes
- 11 Lattice gauge models: a brief introduction
- 12 A brief review of other methods of computer simulation
- 13 Monte Carlo simulations at the periphery of physics and beyond
- 14 Monte Carlo studies of biological molecules
- 15 Emerging trends
- Index
- References
Summary
In most of the discussion presented so far in this book, the quantum character of atoms and electrons has been ignored. The Ising spin models have been an exception, but since the Ising Hamiltonian is diagonal (in the absence of a transverse magnetic field), all energy eigenvalues are known and the Monte Carlo sampling can be carried out just as in the case of classical statistical mechanics. Furthermore, the physical properties are in accord with the third law of thermodynamics for Ising-type Hamiltonians (e.g. entropy S and specific heat vanish for temperature T → 0, etc.) in contrast to the other truly classical models dealt with in previous chapters (e.g. classical Heisenberg spin models, classical fluids and solids, etc.) which have many unphysical low temperature properties.
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- Information
- A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics , pp. 365 - 415Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021