Nonadiabatic transition state theory and trajectory surface hopping dynamics: intersystem crossing between (3)B1 and (1)A1 states of SiH2.

The ability of time-independent nonadiabatic transition state theory (NA-TST) to reproduce intersystem crossing dynamics obtained from the more computationally demanding Tully fewest switches trajectory surface hopping method is investigated. The two approaches are applied to the intersystem crossing between the ground (1)A1 state and lowest energy (3)B1 state of SiH2, coupled through the spin-orbit interaction. For NA-TST, the transition probabilities are calculated using the Landau-Zener formula and the Delos formula which accounts for tunneling. The fewest switches method produces rate constants of 7.6 × 10(11) s(-1) for the triplet to singlet transition and 5.2 × 10(11) s(-1) for the singlet to triplet transition, using a first-order kinetics model. This corresponds to a triplet electronic state lifetime of 781 fs. The NA-TST predicted rate constants are 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller, leading to a larger triplet state lifetime, as compared with the fewest switches method. This discrepancy cannot be explained by the difference in transition probabilities obtained from NA-TST and fewest switches molecular dynamics, and it is believed to be a result of the NA-TST semilocal description of nonadiabatic transitions in the vicinity of the intersystem crossing. Also, the larger triplet state lifetime obtained from NA-TST could be a result of the quantum sampling of rovibrational states, which is missing in classical trajectories traversing the crossing seam.