A quantum Monte Carlo method is introduced to optimize excited-state trial wave functions. The method is applied in a correlation function Monte Carlo calculation to compute ground- and excited-state energies of bosonic van der Waals clusters of up to seven particles. The calculations are performed using trial wave functions with general three-body correlations.

• Received 26 October 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.043401