QUEST\#4X: an extension of QUEST\#4 for benchmarking multireference wavefunction methods

Abstract

Given a number of datasets for evaluating the performance of single reference methods for the low-lying excited states of closed-shell molecules, a comprehensive dataset for assessing the performance of multireference methods for the low-lying excited states of open-shell systems is still lacking. For this reason, we propose an extension (QUEST\#4X) of the radial subset of QUEST\#4 [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2020, 16, 3720] to cover 110 doublet and 39 quartet excited states. Near-exact results obtained by iCIPT2 (iterative configuration interaction with selection and second-order perturbation correction) are taken as benchmark to calibrate SDSCI (static-dynamic-static configuration interaction) and SDSPT2 (static-dynamic-static second-order perturbation theory), which are minimal MRCI and CI-like perturbation theory, respectively. It is found that SDSCI is very close in accuracy to ic-MRCISD (internally contracted multireference configuration interaction with singles and doubles), although its computational cost is just that of one iteration of the latter. Unlike most variants of MRPT2, SDSPT2 treats single and multiple states in the same way, and performs similarly as MS-NEVPT2 (multi-state n-electron valence second-order perturbation theory). These findings put the SDS family of methods (SDSPT2, SDSCI, and iCIPT2, etc.) on a firm basis.