# How can I do quantum chemistry with QED?

So I am a theoretical and computational chemist by trade and my usual zone of operation in the domain of quantum mechanics is Hartree-Fock and Density Functional Theories.

I was thinking if there was a way to apply QED on quantum chemical problems. In particular, I am interested in the computation of the electron density around bound to a molecule.

In essence, I would like to know if this is at all feasible and, more specifically, what sequence of steps I would have to employ to get this done. I have no familiarity with the actual practise of using QED to solve actual problems, but I can follow appropriate references to understand the answer, if they are provided.

Is there a sequence of steps for doing this? Any software I could use? Any algorithms I could implement? Perhaps only for $\operatorname{H}_2$ and its two electrons.

• Just to be clear, you are talking about quantum electrodynamics? For your normal problems in chemistry, QED is going to complicate things and won’t help you answer questions. But there are interesting applications of using field theory to molecules or atoms. One of the best measurements of the the proton mass requires theory from QED when measuring 1s to 2,3,4 ... ns transitions in atomic hydrogen. People also put limits on the electron dipole moment by measuring transitions between vibrational modes in molecules. I can look for references if your interested. – Shane P Kelly Aug 4 '18 at 2:18
• @ShanePKelly Thanks for the feedback. And yes, I was talking about quantum electrodynamics. I would like references very much. But I would also like if you could elaborate on the "won't help you answer questions" bit. Why doesn't it work for regular quantum chemistry problems? – urquiza Aug 4 '18 at 2:38
• – Shane P Kelly Aug 4 '18 at 2:44
• Dipole Moment: arxiv.org/abs/1208.4507 – Shane P Kelly Aug 4 '18 at 2:45
• The reason it won't work is because the approximations you will need to make to make any progress on the chemistry questions will bring you back to doing the same hartree fock type methods. Basically QED adds complexity to the problem that you will need to reduce to solve. It allows for particles to pop in and out of existance, but that physics isn't necessary to understand chemical reactions. All that physics ends up in re-normalized masses and couplings that are essentially constant at the chemistry energy scales. – Shane P Kelly Aug 4 '18 at 2:51