Slow-growth approach

The free-energy profile along a geometric parameter $\xi$ can be scanned by an approximate slow-growth approach. In this method, the value of $\xi$ is linearly changed from the value characteristic for the initial state (1) to that for the final state (2) with a velocity of transformation $\dot{\xi}$. The resulting work needed to perform a transformation $1 \rightarrow 2$ can be computed as:

$w^{irrev}_{1 \rightarrow 2}=\int_{{\xi(1)}}^{{\xi(2)}} \left ( \frac{\partial {V(q)}} {\partial \xi} \right ) \cdot \dot{\xi}\, dt.$

In the limit of infinitesimally small $\dot{\xi}$, the work $w^{irrev}_{1 \rightarrow 2}$ corresponds to the free-energy difference between the the final and initial state. In the general case, $w^{irrev}_{1 \rightarrow 2}$$is the irreversible work related to the free energy via Jarzynski's identity:

${\rm exp}\left\{-\frac{\Delta A_{1 \rightarrow 2}}{k_B\,T} \right \}= \bigg \langle {\rm exp} \left \{-\frac{w^{irrev}_{1 \rightarrow 2}}{k_B\,T} \right \} \bigg\rangle.$

Note that calculation of the free-energy via this equation requires averaging of the term ${\rm exp} \left \{-\frac{w^{irrev}_{1 \rightarrow 2}}{k_B\,T} \right \}$ over many realizations of the $1 \rightarrow 2$ transformation. Detailed description of the simulation protocol that employs Jarzynski's identity can be found in reference .

• For a slow-growth simulation, one has to perform a calcualtion very similar to Constrained molecular dynamics but additionally the transformation velocity-related INCREM-tag for each geometric parameter with STATUS=0 has to be specified:

1. Set the standard MD-related tags: IBRION=0, TEBEG, POTIM, and NSW
2. Set MDALGO=1, and choose an appropriate setting for ANDERSEN_PROB
3. Define geometric constraints in the ICONST-file, and set the STATUS parameter for the constrained coordinates to 0
4. When the free-energy gradient is to be computed, set LBLUEOUT=.TRUE.

5. Specify the transformation velocity-related INCREM-tag for each geometric parameter with STATUS=0.

VASP can handle multiple (even redundant) constraints. Note, however, that a too large number of constraints can cause problems with the stability of the SHAKE algorithm. In problematic cases, it is recommended to use a looser convergence criterion (see SHAKETOL) and to allow a larger number of iterations (see SHAKEMAXITER) in the SHAKE algorithm. Hard constraints may also be used in metadynamics simulations (see MDALGO=11 | 21). Information about the constraints is written onto the REPORT-file: check the lines following the string: Const_coord

References

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