Validity of time-dependent trial states for the Holstein polaron

Validity of three time-dependent trial states of the Holstein Hamiltonian, namely the D 2 , Merrifield and D&cmb.tilde; Ansätze has been examined in detail with regards to their deviations from the exact solution to the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Linear absorption spectra are also calculated as an additional indicator of the Ansatz validity. It is found that the D&cmb.tilde; Ansatz is the most accurate trial state of the three, and all Ansätze fail to provide an adequate description of system dynamics in the weak-coupling regime. A numerical criterion has been developed to judge the accuracies of time-dependent trial states for the Holstein polaron.