An Accurate Linearized Semiclassical Approach for Calculating Cavity-Modified Charge Transfer Rate Constants

We show that combining the linearized semiclasscial approximation with Fermi’s golden rule (FGR) rate theory gives rise to a general-purpose cost-effective and scalable computational framework that can accurately capture the cavity-induced rate enhancement of charge transfer reactions that occurs when the molecular system is placed inside a microcavity. Both partial linearization with respect to the nuclear and photonic degrees of freedom and full linerization with respect to nuclear, photonic, and electronic degrees of freedom (the latter within the mapping Hamiltonian approach) are shown to be highly accurate, provided that the Wigner transforms of the product (WoP) of operators at the initial time is not replaced by the product of their Wigner transforms. We also show that the partial linearization method yields the quantum-mechanically exact cavity-modified FGR rate constant for a model system in which the donor and acceptor potential energy surfaces are harmonic and identical except for a shift in the equilibrium energy and geometry, if WoP is applied.