Skip to content

The work flow of constructing HDNNPs

This chapter gives an overview about the construction of HDNNPs in different generations. Starting in version 2.0 or later, a new keyword nnp_generation i0 or nnp_gen i0 can be used to specify which generation of HDNNPs is constructed. Here, i0 can be either 2 for 2G-, 3 for 3G-, or 4 for 4G-HDNNPs. RuNNer is still fully backward compatible by specifying nn_type_short for 2G-HDNNPs. However, using new keywords is recommended.

The construction of 3G- and 4G-HDNNPs is a two-step procedure and users have to construct the charge fit first by specifying a keyword use_electrostatics. After finishing the charge fit and renaming the weight files and possible hardness files for different elements, users can then perform the short-range fit by specifying both use_electrostatics and use_short_nn in the input.nn file. Examples including input.nn and input.data for constructing 3G and 4G-HDNNP are provided in the Examples/ directory of the RuNNer source code.

2G-HDNNP

Tip

2G-HDNNPs are constructed by specifying nnp_generation 2 or nnp_gen 2 with other necessary keywords in input.nn.

  1. First, users have to perform mode 1 for calculating the symmetry function values and splitting the reference data set into a training and a testing set.
  2. Next, users should perform mode 2 to train the short-range atomic neural networks.
  3. After training the atomic neural networks, users can utilize the novel NNP for the prediction of the total energy, forces and stress tensor of configurations from input.data by renaming optweights.XXX.out to weights.XXX.data.

Note

Magnetic high-dimensional neural network potentials (mHDNNPs) as constructed in M. Eckhoff, J. Behler, npj Comput. Mater. 2021, 7, 170 are 2G-HDNNPs which apply spin-dependent atom-centered symmetry functions (sACSFs). These sACSFs distinguish different types of magnetic as well as non-magnetic interactions. The aforementioned publication explains how to set up these sACSFs for a magnetic system. The atomic spins can be specified in the flexible format of the input.data file. Therefore, the information provided in each column needs to be specified explicitly for each structure after the keyword begin, for example, begin x y z elem_symbol atom_charge atom_energy fx fy fz atom_spin.

Note

To construct a high-dimensional neural network for spin prediction (HDNNS) as in M. Eckhoff, K. N. Lausch, P. E. Blöchl, J. Behler, J. Chem. Phys. 2020, 153, 164107, nnp_gen 2, use_electrostatics, electrostatic_type 1, and use_atom_spins have to be specified in input.nn, while use_short_nn must not be activated. Further options need to be specified for the electrostatic NN instead of the short NN. The atomic spins can be specified in the flexible format of the input.data file. Only the absolute value of the atomic spins is used in the construction of the HDNNS.

3G-HDNNP

Tip

3G-HDNNPs are constructed by specifying nnp_generation 3 or nnp_type_gen 3 with other necessary keywords in input.nn.

  1. First, the electrostatic NNP is constructed. To that end, users should perform mode 1 by setting use_electrostatics for calculating the electrostatic symmetry function values and splitting the reference data set into a training and a testing set.
  2. Next, users should perform mode 2 to train the long-range electrostatics atomic neural networks.
  3. After renaming optweightse.XXX.out to weightse.XXX.data, the short-range NNP is trained. The keywords use_short_nn and use_electrostatics are switched on simultaneously and mode 1 is run again to obtain new training and testing data sets.
  4. Then, users can perform mode 2 again to obtain another set of optimized atomic neural network weights for the short-range part.
  5. Finally, users can predict total energy, forces and stress tensor including short-range and electrostatic interactions of configurations from input.data by renaming optweights.XXX.out to weights.XXX.data.

4G-HDNNP

Tip

3G-HDNNPs are constructed by specifying nnp_generation 4 or nnp_type_gen 4 and use_electrostatics together with other necessary keywords in input.nn.

  1. First, the electrostatic NNP is constructed. To that end, users should perform mode 1 for calculating the symmetry function values and splitting the reference data set into a training and a testing set.
  2. Next, users should perform mode 2 to train the long-range electrostatics atomic neural networks.
  3. After renaming optweightse.XXX.out to weightse.XXX.data, the short-range NNP is trained. The keyword use_short_nn is switched on and mode 1 is performed again to obtain new training and testing data sets.
  4. Then, users can perform mode 2 again to obtain another set of optimized atomic neural network weights for the short-range part.
  5. Finally, users can predict total energy, forces and stress tensor including short-range and electrostatic interactions of configurations from input.data by renaming optweights.XXX.out to weights.XXX.data.