Data-efficient fine-tuning of foundational models for first-principles quality sublimation enthalpies

Abstract

Calculating sublimation enthalpies of molecular crystal polymorphs is relevant to a wide range of technological applications. However, predicting these quantities at first-principles accuracy – even with the aid of machine learning potentials – is a challenge that requires sub-kJ mol⁻¹ accuracy in the potential energy surface and finite-temperature sampling. We present an accurate and data-efficient protocol for training machine learning interatomic potentials by fine-tuning the foundational MACE-MP-0 model and showcase its capabilities on sublimation enthalpies and physical properties of ice polymorphs. Our approach requires only a few tens of training structures to achieve sub-kJ mol⁻¹ accuracy in the sublimation enthalpies and sub-1% error in densities at finite temperature and pressure. Exploiting this data efficiency, we perform preliminary NPT simulations of hexagonal ice at the random phase approximation level and demonstrate a good agreement with experiments. Our results show promise for finite-temperature modelling of molecular crystals with the accuracy of correlated electronic structure theory methods.