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neb_simulation [2009/12/04 11:53]
prokop
neb_simulation [2011/02/18 13:13]
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-===== Input ===== 
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-Here we provide brief description how to run Nudged Elastic Band ([http://​theory.cm.utexas.edu/​henkelman/​research/​saddle/​ NEB]) simulations to explore reaction pathways between two known atomic configurations. More details about the method including list of references can be found [http://​theory.cm.utexas.edu/​henkelman/​research/​saddle/ ​ here]. 
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-To start, we need an initial and final atomic configuration. 
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-  * The initial configuration is defined in input  ''​*.bas''​ file defined in ''​ fireball.in''​ input file. Final configuration is defined in other ''​*.bas''​ file, which name is defined in ''​neb.optional''​ file (see bellow). ​ 
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-  * Next step, we need to activate ''​ineb''​ flag in the section OPTION of the ''​fireball.in''​ input file: 
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-<​code>​ 
-&OPTION 
-ineb = 1  
-&END 
-</​code>​ 
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-  * In addition, we create an extra input file ''​neb.optional''​ including parameters to control NEB searching process. This file has to be presented in the working directory (This file will probably converted into section format of ''​fireball.in''​ soon, for details please checkout your current version). The format of ''​neb.optional''​ file is following: 
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-<​code>​ 
-1.0                 ! spring strength (k_neb) 
-0.03                ! tolerance of displacement (tol_displ_neb) 
-0.05                ! tolerance of force (tol_ftot_neb) 
-0.003               ! tolerance of energy (tol_etot_neb) 
-16                  ! neb images (including the initial and final image) ​ (nimg_neb) 
-1000                ! max. number of neb iterations (niter_neb_max) 
-2.0                 ! time step for NEB optimization verlet method (dt_neb) 
-0                   ! restart (irestart) 
-final.bas ​          ! file name including the final configuration (file_neb)) 
-</​code>​ 
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-===== Output & Convergence ===== 
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-Information about the convergence status/​progress can be checked out searching lines with a string ''​NEB''​ in output file; e.g. typing from command line: 
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-<​code>​ 
-grep "​NEB"​ $output_name 
-</​code>​ 
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-you'll get a summary in the following format: 
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-<​code>​ 
-... 
-   ​NEB_RES no. iter =  52 
-   ​NEB_RES displ :  RES =      0.00977406 ​ TOL =       ​0.03000000 
-   ​NEB_RES etot  :  RES =      0.05848069 ​ TOL =       ​0.00300000 
-   ​NEB_RES ftot  :  RES =      0.64556157 ​ TOL =       ​0.05000000 
-   ​NEB_RES no. iter =  53 
-   ​NEB_RES displ :  RES =      0.00968433 ​ TOL =       ​0.03000000 
-   ​NEB_RES etot  :  RES =      0.05707478 ​ TOL =       ​0.00300000 
-   ​NEB_RES ftot  :  RES =      0.62786898 ​ TOL =       ​0.05000000 
-   ​NEB_RES no. iter =  54 
-   ​NEB_RES displ :  RES =      0.00960022 ​ TOL =       ​0.03000000 
-   ​NEB_RES etot  :  RES =      0.05630221 ​ TOL =       ​0.00300000 
-   ​NEB_RES ftot  :  RES =      0.62082779 ​ TOL =       ​0.05000000 
-   ​NEB_RES no. iter =  55 
-... 
-</​code>​ 
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-In addition actual optimized position of each NEB image is stored in ''​answer_neb_**XX**.bas'' ​ file;  where ''​**XX**''​ means image no.. File ''​answer_neb_XX.xyz''​ contains whole optimization history of an individual image. 
-Files ''​answer_image.bas''​ and ''​answer_image.xyz''​ contain all, last optimized, NEB images including the initial and final ones. 
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-**Note**: The files ''​answer_image.bas''​ can be directly used for a restart of NEB-optimization process. 
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-==== Main sources of convergence troubles: ==== 
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-  * **large time step: ** Initial forces can be pretty large, therefore a small time step is advisable to avoid any numerical instabilities of [http://​en.wikipedia.org/​wiki/​Verlet_integration Verlet] alghorithm used to integrate the equations of motion. ​ 
-  * **wrong initial guess of NEB images: **  Linear extrapolation is used to build up set of NEB images at begin. In special cases, where the reaction trajectories are complicated,​ can lead to unrealistic configurations with atoms close to each other. Such configurations will suffer large repulsive forces which consequently may lead to numerical instabilities during optimization. 
-  * **weak spring constant:** If the potential energy surface is complicated,​ the imaginary elastic band can get kinked. On other hand, large spring constant will lead to less precise estimation of the saddle point. 
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-===== Restart ===== 
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-There is possibility to make a restart of previous run on penultimate line in the file ''​neb.optional'':​ 
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-<​code>​ 
-1.0                 ! spring strength (k_neb) 
-0.03                ! tolerance of displacement (tol_displ_neb) 
-0.05                ! tolerance of force (tol_ftot_neb) 
-0.003               ! tolerance of energy (tol_etot_neb) 
-16                  ! neb images (including the initial and final image) ​ (nimg_neb) 
-1000                ! max. number of neb iterations (niter_neb_max) 
-0.5                 ! time step for NEB optimization verlet method (dt_neb) 
-1                   ! restart (irestart) 
-final.bas ​          ! file name including the final configuration (file_neb)) 
-</​code>​ 
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-In this case, an initial NEB images will be uploaded from a file declared on the next line of ''​neb.optional''​ file. 
-Format of this file has to be indentical to the ''​answer_image.bas''​ file, where the first line containing total number of NEB images. 
  
neb_simulation.txt ยท Last modified: 2011/02/18 13:13 (external edit)