Through the exact solution of a two-electron singlet system interacting with a monochromatic laser we prove that all adiabatic density functionals within time-dependent density-functional theory are not able to discern between resonant and nonresonant (detuned) Rabi oscillations. This is rationalized in terms of a fictitious dynamical exchange-correlation (xc) detuning of the resonance while the laser is acting. The nonlinear dynamics of the Kohn-Sham system shows the characteristic features of detuned Rabi oscillations even if the exact resonant frequency is used. We identify the source of this error in a contribution from the xc functional to the set of nonlinear equations that describes the electron dynamics in an effective two-level system. The constraint of preventing the detuning introduces a new strong condition to be satisfied by approximate xc functionals.
Most applications of time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) use the adiabatic local-density approximation (ALDA) for the dynamical exchange-correlation potential V(xc)(r,t). An exact (i.e., nonadiabatic) extension of the ground-state LDA into the dynamical regime leads to a V(xc)(r,t) with a memory, which causes the electron dynamics to become dissipative. To illustrate and explain this nonadiabatic behavior, this paper studies the dynamics of two interacting electrons on a two-dimensional quantum strip of finite size, comparing TDDFT within and beyond the ALDA with numerical solutions of the two-electron time-dependent Schrodinger equation. It is shown explicitly how dissipation arises through multiple particle-hole excitations, and how the nonadiabatic extension of the ALDA fails for finite systems but becomes correct in the thermodynamic limit.
In this work, nonadiabatic exchange-correlation (XC) potentials for time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) for strongly correlated materials are derived in the limits of strong and weak correlations. After summarizing some essentials of the available dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) XC potentials valid for these systems, we present details of the Sham–Schluter equation approach that we use to obtain, in principle, an exact XC potential from a many-body theory solution for the nonequilibrium electron self-energy. We derive the XC potentials for the one-band Hubbard model in the limits of weak and strong on-site Coulomb repulsion. To test the accuracy of the obtained potentials, we compare the TDDFT results obtained with these potentials with the corresponding nonequilibrium DMFT solution for the one-band Hubbard model and find that the agreement between the solutions is rather good. We also discuss possible directions to obtain a universal XC potential that would be appropriate for the case of intermediate interaction strengths, i.e., a nonadiabatic potential that can be used to perform TDDFT analysis of nonequilibrium phenomena, such as transport and other ultrafast properties of materials with any strength of electron correlation at any value in the applied perturbing field.
We illustrate the potential of Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) for describing the nonequilibrium behavior of strongly correlated (lattice) models. Starting from an exact time-evolution of the many-body wavefunction, we determine, via reverse engineering, the exact exchange correlation (xc) potential
vxc for small Hubbard chains of different lengths and electron fillings and exposed to time-dependent perturbations. We compare some of the exact results to those of adiabatic-like treatments, in order to extract some of the properties that approximate xc potentials should have. Finally, we provide details of work in progress and future directions.
Abstract We formulate a rigorous method for calculating a nonadiabatic (frequency-dependent) exchange-correlation (XC) kernel appropriate for accurate description of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of strongly correlated systems within the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) via the charge susceptibility, which is in turn obtained from dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) based on the effective multi-orbital Hubbard model. Application to the simple case of the one-orbital Hubbard model already shows the importance of the nonadiabatic kernel as it leads to significant modification of the excitation spectrum—shifting the (adiabatic) peak and disclosing another that is reminiscent of the solution from DMFT. The impact of dynamical effects, naturally included through the nonadiabaticity of the XC kernel, becomes even more transparent in our consideration of the nonequilibrium charge-density response of a multi-orbital perovskite, YTiO 3 , to a perturbation by a femtosecond (fs) laser pulse. These initial results indicate that electron–electron correlations and nonadiabatic features may significantly affect the spectrum and nonequilibrium properties of strongly correlated systems. We also propose an algorithm for extension of the approach to non-linear response. The transparency and computational efficiency of this non-adiabatic TDDFT+DMFT approach opens the door to examination of the spectra and response of multi-orbital systems with many nonequivalent atoms—bulk material, films and nanostructures.
Time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) treats dynamical exchange and correlation (xc) via a single-particle potential,
Vxc(r,t), defined as a nonlocal functional of the density $n({\mathbf{r}}^{\ensuremath{'}},{t}^{\ensuremath{'}})$. The popular adiabatic local-density approximation (ALDA) for
Vxc(r,t) uses only densities at the same space-time point
(r,t). To go beyond the ALDA, two local approximations have been proposed based on quantum hydrodynamics and elasticity theory: (a) using the current as the basic variable (C-TDDFT) [G. Vignale, C. A. Ullrich, and S. Conti, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 4847 (1997)], (b) working in a comoving Lagrangian reference frame (L-TDDFT) [I. V. Tokatly, Phys. Rev. B 71, 165105 (2005)]. In this paper we illustrate, compare, and analyze both nonadiabatic theories for simple time-dependent model densities in the linear and nonlinear regime, for a broad range of time and frequency scales. C- and L-TDDFT are identical in certain limits, but, in general, exhibit qualitative and quantitative differences in their respective treatment of elastic and dissipative electron dynamics. In situations where the electronic density rapidly undergoes large deformations, it is found that nonadiabatic effects can become significant, causing the ALDA to break down.