Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics of ion conduction with equivariant neural network models
Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 103802 – Published 15 October, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fll6-v5fx
Abstract
We propose a method for evaluating ionic conductivity by integrating machine learning models with nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations under a constant electric field. The method computes the forces exerted on atoms by the external electric field within the linear response regime, using the Born effective charge tensor predicted by an equivariant graph convolutional neural network. These field-induced forces are then combined with nonperturbed forces predicted by an equivariant neural network potential. We applied this approach to , a representative solid lithium-ion electrolyte. The method enables accurate evaluation of conductivity at a level comparable to first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, but at a fraction of their prohibitive computational cost, and further allows simulations of realistic ion conduction dynamics under an applied electric field. The predicted Born effective charges indicate that Li ions located near and tetrahedra exhibit higher ionization. These ions are localized around and tetrahedra, which serve as structural barriers that interrupt conduction pathways. In contrast, other Li ions are less ionized and primarily contribute to ionic conduction. The proposed method offers a nonarbitrary and physically interpretable framework for the quantitative evaluation of ionic dynamics, including charge fluctuations that are essential for complex systems such as inhomogeneous crystals and interfaces.
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Machine Learning for Materials Discovery and Understanding
The Editors of Physical Review Materials are pleased to present the Collection on Machine Learning for Materials Discovery and Understanding, highlighting cutting-edge advances in machine learning method development and applications for materials discovery and fundamental understanding of the structure-property-function relationship. The Collection is being guest-edited by Deyu Lu of Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA) and Jinlan Wang of Southeast University (China). Every article published in this collection underwent a rigorous peer review process, adhering to the same high standards applied to all papers. The Physical Review Materials editorial team managed the peer review and made all editorial decisions.