Theory of Excitation Broadening Using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory for Open Quantum Systems
David G. Tempel, Alán Aspuru‐Guzik
Abstract
The Casida equations of linear response TDDFT are extended to calculate linear spectra of open quantum systems evolving according to a Markovian master equation. By mapping a many-body open quantum system onto an open, non-interacting Kohn-Sham system, extrinsic line broadening due to electron-bath coupling can be described exactly within TDDFT. The structure of the resulting matrix equations are analyzed for the generic case of electrons linearly coupled to a harmonic bath within Redfield theory. An approximate form of the exchange-correlation kernel based on first-order G\\"orling-Levy perturbation theory is derived.