Accelerated nuclear quantum effects sampling with open path integrals

Abstract: We numericaly demonstrate that, in double well models, the autocorrelation time of open path integral Monte Carlo simulations can be much smaller compared to standard ones using ring polymers. We also provide an intuitive explanation based on the role of instantons as transition states of the path integral pseudodynamics. Therefore we propose that, in all cases when the ground state approximation to the finite temperature partition function holds, open path integral simulations can be used to accelerate the sampling in realistic simulations aimed to explore nuclear quantum effects.