We present accurate quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations which enabled us to determine the structure, spin multiplicity, ionization energy, dissociation energy, and spin-dependent electronic gaps of the vanadium-benzene system. From total and ionization energy we deduce a high-spin state with vastly different energy gaps for the two spin channels. For this purpose we have used a multistage combination of techniques with consecutive elimination of systematic biases except for the fixed-node approximation in QMC calculations. Our results significantly differ from the established picture based on previous less accurate calculations and point out the importance of high-level many-body methods for predictive calculations of similar transition metal-based organometallic systems.

We present accurate quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations that enabled us to determine the structure, spin multiplicity, ionization energy, dissociation energy, and spin-dependent electronic gaps of neutral and positively charged vanadium-benzene and cobalt-benzene systems. From total/ionization energy, we deduce a sextet (quintet) state of neutral (cationic) vanadium-benzene systems and quartet (triplet) state of the neutral (cationic) cobalt-benzene systems. Vastly different energy gaps for the two spin channels are predicted for the vanadium-benzene system and broadly similar energy gaps for the cobalt-benzene system. For this purpose, we have used a multistage combination of techniques with consecutive elimination of systematic biases except for the fixed-node approximation in QMC. Our results significantly differ from the established picture based on previous less accurate calculations and point out the importance of high-level many-body methods for predictive calculations of similar transition metal-based organometallic systems.

Singlet and triplet excited states of trans-azobenzene have been measured in the gas phase by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). In order to interpret the strongly overlapping singlet and triplet bands in the spectra a set of large-scale correlated quantum Monte-Carlo (QMC) simulations was performed. The EELS/QMC combination of methods yields an excellent agreement between theory and experiment and for the two low-lying excited singlet and two low-lying triplet states permitted their unambiguous assignment. In addition, EELS revealed two overlapping electronic states in the band commonly assigned as S(2), the lower one with a pronounced vibrational structure, the upper one structureless. Finally, the agreement between theory and experiment was shown to further increase by taking computationally into account the finite temperature effects.