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Jan Hermann

@hrmnn.net
1.8K followers 149 following 152 posts

Computational chemistry & physics, electrons, deep learning 🚲☕️♟️ Microsoft Research AI for Science · hrmnn.net

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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 11/09/2026
Unless I can fix any internal coordinate and the editor somehow figures out what to do with the rest, I’d call it a Z-matrix editor
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 11/09/2026
I can imagine a lab escape scenario where whatever gets out just wreaks havoc without purpose. Viruses aren’t (super)intelligent either
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/08/2026
Trying to model bond dissociation accurately and running into a wall with both wavefunction and DFT methods? Orbformer, our pretrained wavefunction ansatz, makes it easier with deep QMC. Now looking into using it to generate bond dissociation training data for Skala. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
An ab initio foundation model of wavefunctions that accurately describes chemical bond breaking - Nature Communications
Orbformer is a quantum Monte Carlo foundation model pretrained on thousands of molecular structures. It can be fine-tuned to yield accurate wavefunctions, including for multireference phenomena, with ...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 25/08/2026
Both fully supported and this computational cost report is produced with them microsoft.github.io/skala/benchm...
microsoft.github.io
Skala computational cost benchmark report
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 24/08/2026
Skala, our XC functional, now outperforms the best global hybrids on GMTKN55, at the cost of a semi-local functional. Coming soon to many popular DFT packages, starting with @cp2k.bsky.social, Psi4, ORCA by @faccts.de, VASP, and @fhi-aims.bsky.social
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2026
Continued in github.com/jhrmnn/pyber...
github.com
Oligomer Benchmark Set · Issue #126 · jhrmnn/pyberny
I created a set of XYZ geometries for a variety of oligomers: https://github.com/ghutchis/oligomer-benchmarks/tree/main/xyz rigid acenes poly-ynes for linear bends PPE for aromatic and linear oligo...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 23/05/2026
github.com/jhrmnn/pyber...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 23/05/2026
Are those molecules/benchmarks in the codebase or otherwise accessible? Would be nice. I’m trying to revive github.com/jhrmnn/pyberny with agents now. The two benchmarks I run there are much smaller molecules though github.com/jhrmnn/pyber...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/05/2026
What benchmark do you use to evaluate the geometry optimizer?
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2506.14665 Model/code: github.com/microsoft/skala If you try Skala on a system you care about, let us know what you find
arxiv.org
Accurate and scalable exchange-correlation with deep learning
Density Functional Theory (DFT) underpins much of modern computational chemistry and materials science. Yet, the reliability of DFT-derived predictions of experimentally measurable properties remains ...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
The model is available now on GitHub and PyPI. We're already working to bring Skala to major DFT codes, including Psi4 and CP2K, through GauXC and direct code integrations
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
It's not just about energies, either. We now show accurate dipoles, hybrid-level equilibrium geometries, XC integration costs that stay in the semi-local DFT regime, and practical paths into production codes—directions we partly owe to the feedback of the DFT community
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
The model is trained on about 400k accurate energy differences spanning atomization energies, conformers, affinities, reaction pathways, and non-covalent interactions. That's why Skala performs strongly across main-group chemistry rather than only on one narrow benchmark
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
The core idea: instead of leaning on increasingly expensive hand-designed non-local ingredients, Skala learns non-local electronic representations directly from the electron density with a scalable neural architecture, at semi-local DFT cost www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzt3...
youtube.com
Deep learning for DFT
YouTube video by Microsoft Research
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
Our long-run aim is to make that zoo obsolete. Skala is our bet that one deep-learning functional will be the right choice across any system or property. Today's results are a major step toward that goal, not the destination
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
DFT is the workhorse of computational chemistry, but its predictive power is bottlenecked by the unknown exchange-correlation functional. Climbing Jacob's ladder usually buys accuracy by paying more compute. The result is a functional zoo—one specialized tool per domain
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
Why does this matter? Electrons are the glue holding atoms together in molecules and materials. Better XC functionals mean better predictions for reaction energies, barriers, structures, and properties that matter for chemistry, materials, and catalysis www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtB5...
youtube.com
What is Density Functional Theory (DFT)
YouTube video by Microsoft Research
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 22/04/2026
Today we're sharing a major Skala update—new paper and model release. Skala is a deep-learning exchange-correlation functional for DFT that reaches 2.8 kcal/mol on GMTKN55, wins 32 of its 55 subsets, and leads on accuracy short of double hybrids at semi-local DFT cost
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 01/12/2025
• [3/3] Excited about developing and scaling our machine-learning code and data infrastructure?—Senior Research Engineer Machine Learning careerhub.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
careerhub.microsoft.com
Senior Research Engineer Machine Learning, AI for Science | Microsoft Careers
Develop and maintain tools, models and technologies for building, training, optimizing and scaling machine learning solutions. Architect, design, and implement scalable and robust solutions for machin...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 01/12/2025
• [2/3] Interested in helping us with high-performance computing, GPU implementation, open source, and DFT software?—Senior Research Software Engineer careerhub.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
careerhub.microsoft.com
Senior Research Software Engineer, AI for Science | Microsoft Careers
Collaborate with internal and external parties on integrating our deep learning models in high performance DFT software frameworks, targeting both CPU and GPU-based frameworks Prepare and maintain ope...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 01/12/2025
• [1/3] Want to help us bringing the Skala functional into the materials world?—Senior Research Engineer in DFT for Materials Science careerhub.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
careerhub.microsoft.com
Senior Research Engineer in DFT for Materials Science, AI for Science | Microsoft Careers
Implement and maintain evaluation pipelines for exchange correlation functionals for materials using software packages like VASP, CP2K, QuantumEspresso, FHI-aims, PySCF, or similar Work cross-function...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 01/12/2025
📢 Hiring into three new roles in the OneDFT team at MSR AI for Science! 💼 ⬇️ Join our mission to make DFT accurate and reliable, learn more at aka.ms/dft
careerhub.microsoft.com
Senior Research Engineer in DFT for Materials Science, AI for Science | Microsoft Careers
Implement and maintain evaluation pipelines for exchange correlation functionals for materials using software packages like VASP, CP2K, QuantumEspresso, FHI-aims, PySCF, or similar Work cross-function...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 09/10/2025
Our neural-network XC functional, Skala, is available in the cloud in Azure AI Foundry, on PyPI as an open-source Python package with hookups to PySCF and ASE, and via the C++ library GauXC for any third-party DFT code. If you find anything interesting about Skala, please let us know, we're curious!
github.com
GitHub - microsoft/skala: Skala exchange-correlation functional
Skala exchange-correlation functional. Contribute to microsoft/skala development by creating an account on GitHub.
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 04/08/2025
Simulating molecules and materials accurately is one thing, knowing which molecules and materials to look at is another. Look at these new roles for the latter!
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 03/08/2025
I benefited massively from www.ipam.ucla.edu/programs/lon.... I got into ML for science through that program. Now IPAM may be gone mathstodon.xyz/@tao/1149568...
mathstodon.xyz
Terence Tao (@tao@mathstodon.xyz)
The current administration in the US has, through various funding agencies such as the NSF and NIH, has recently suspended virtually all federal grants to my home university, UCLA (including my own p...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 08/07/2025
Interested in our mission to make DFT more accurate and push what’s possible in quantum chemistry? Do you want to directly contribute? We're hiring a senior software engineer and a senior researcher: jobs.careers.microsoft.com/global/en/jo... jobs.careers.microsoft.com/global/en/jo...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 06/07/2025
@chrislhayes.bsky.social you achieved what I would have thought impossible. In just the first three chapters of your book you made my phone seem so disgusting that I’ve barely touched it in the last few days
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 04/07/2025
Was it painful?
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 02/07/2025
The OALD for example says a lie is “a statement made by somebody knowing that it is not true”. Ie it implies intent. I don’t think an LLM knows that it says an untruth. So it cannot lie
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 27/06/2025
I mean, when Kepler figured out the laws of planetary motion, he also used old Babylonian astronomical data
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 27/06/2025
Feynman Lectures!
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/06/2025
Code and pretrained model are available at github.com/microsoft/on...
github.com
GitHub - microsoft/oneqmc: Pretrained model for molecular wavefunctions
Pretrained model for molecular wavefunctions. Contribute to microsoft/oneqmc development by creating an account on GitHub.
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/06/2025
Future versions of our Skala functional, bsky.app/profile/jan...., will be trained on increasingly diverse yet steadfastly accurate data, and for multireference systems we'll need every possible tool from the quantum chemistry toolbox, and then some more. With Orbformer, we're making our own tools
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/06/2025
Orbformer does this for the first time at scale, having been pretrained on 22k equilibrium and dissociating structures. The resulting model rivals the cost–accuracy ratio of traditional multireference methods and can be systematically converged to chemical accuracy
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/06/2025
Traditional ab initio methods run always from scratch—no taking advantage of shared electronic structure patterns between molecules. Deep QMC changes this by first pretraining a large wavefunction model that is then cheaply fine-tuned—amortizing the pretraining cost
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/06/2025
Why care? Strong correlation appears whenever bonds snap, radicals roam, or near-degeneracy sets in—combustion, catalysis, photochemistry. Take nitrogenase, an enzyme that can break N₂ and whose active site is a poster child for strong correlation. With Orbformer we focused on bond breaking
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 26/06/2025
🚀 Strong correlation is the Everest of quantum chemistry. Next to the coupled cluster highway, the multireference molecular terrain is underserved—gravel roads and promenades. With Orbformer, we're building a new infrastructure by marrying neural network wavefunctions with cost amortization at scale
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 23/06/2025
Cool work! Is the distillation protocol cheap enough that you could use it with DFT directly as the teacher, skipping the foundation FF entirely?
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
We’ll definitely release Skala as part of some DFT library! Exact plans being finalized. We’ll get in touch when we’re ready to share details. We’d love Skala to be available in ORCA
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
..., @marwinsegler.bsky.social, Victor Garcia Satorras, @riannevdberg.bsky.social, @paolagorigiorgi.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzt3...
youtube.com
Deep learning for DFT
YouTube video by Microsoft Research
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
..., @lab-initio.bsky.social, Deniz Gunceler, @megstanley.bsky.social, @wessel.ai, Lin Huang, Xinran Wei, Jose Garrido Torres, Abylay Katbashev, @balintmate.bsky.social, @oumarkaba.bsky.social, Roberto Sordillo, Yingrong Chen, @dbwy-science.bsky.social, Christopher Bishop, Kenji Takeda, ...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
This is a highly collaborative team effort across deep learning, quantum chemistry & physics ⚡🧪 #DFT #ChemTwitter #CompChem #AI4Science 👥 The dream team: @chinweih.bsky.social, @giulia-lu.bsky.social, @derkkooi.bsky.social, Thijs Vogels, Sebastian Ehlert, Stephanie Lanius, Klaas Giesbertz, ...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
To test Skala’s practical utility, we show it reliably predicts equilibrium geometries and dipole moments. Though only minimal constraints are built into its neural network design, more exact physical constraints emerge naturally as training data grows!
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
Which data? Trained on ~150k high-accuracy reaction energies, incl. 80k atomization energies, Skala hits an unprecedented 1.06 kcal/mol on atomization energies on W4-17. On GMTKN55 it reaches 3.89 WTMAD-2, matching SOTA hybrid functionals at the cost of semi-local DFT
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
What makes Skala different? Skala is a deep-learning based XC functional that bypasses expensive hand-designed nonlocal features typically used to achieve higher accuracy, by learning nonlocal representations directly from an unprecedented amount of high-accuracy data
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
How is DFT done today? Existing XC functionals rely on hand-crafted features from Jacob’s ladder 🪜 that trade accuracy for efficiency. Yet none achieve the chemical accuracy and generality needed for reliable predictions of the outcome of laboratory experiments
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
Enter Density Functional Theory (DFT), the backbone 𖠣 of computational chemistry. Although DFT can, in principle, calculate the electronic energy exactly, practical applications rely on approximations to the unknown 🔍 exchange-correlation (XC) energy functional
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
Why this matters? ⚛️ Electrons act as the glue holding atoms together in molecules and materials. Accurately computing their energy is key to predicting chemical and physical properties relevant for drug 💊 and material design, batteries 🔋 and sustainable fertilizers 🌱
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
Blog: microsoft.com/en-us/resear... Skala paper:📜 arxiv.org/abs/2506.14665 Dataset paper:💾 arxiv.org/abs/2506.14492
microsoft.com
Using deep learning to increase the accuracy of computational chemistry and density functional theory
Microsoft researchers achieved a breakthrough in the accuracy of DFT, a method for predicting the properties of molecules and materials, by using deep learning. This work can lead to better batteries,...
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Jan Hermann @hrmnn.net · 18/06/2025
🚀 After two+ years of intense research, we’re thrilled to introduce Skala — a scalable deep learning density functional that hits chemical accuracy on atomization energies and matches hybrid-level accuracy on main group chemistry — all at the cost of semi-local DFT ⚛️🔥🧪🧬
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