Similarity transformed equation of motion coupled-cluster theory based on an unrestricted Hartree-Fock reference for applications to high-spin open-shell systems.

The similarity transformed equation of motion coupled-cluster approach is extended for applications to high-spin open-shell systems, within the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) formalism. An automatic active space selection scheme has also been implemented such that calculations can be performed in a black-box fashion. It is observed that both the canonical and automatic active space selecting similarity transformed equation of motion (STEOM) approaches perform about as well as the more expensive equation of motion coupled-cluster singles doubles (EOM-CCSD) method for the calculation of the excitation energies of doublet radicals. The automatic active space selecting UHF STEOM approach can therefore be employed as a viable, lower scaling alternative to UHF EOM-CCSD for the calculation of excited states in high-spin open-shell systems.