It is shown that interacting many-particle quantum systems can be described in terms of fully correlated $n$-particle densities, which determine uniquely the potential acting on the system and satisfy a minimum principle with respect to the ground-state energy. This leads to a generalization of ordinary density functional theory in terms of $n$-particle densities which allows the direct and self-consistent treatment of correlation effects within electronic structure methods for atoms, molecules, and solids.
It is shown that interacting many-particle quantum systems can be described in terms of fully correlated n-particle densities, which determine uniquely the potential acting on the system and satisfy a minimum principle with respect to the ground-state energy. This leads to a generalization of ordinary density functional theory in terms of n-particle densities which allows the direct and self-consistent treatment of correlation effects within electronic structure methods for atoms, molecules, and solids.
A methodology is introduced for the systematic treatment of electron-electron correlations in solids and other interacting quantum N-particle systems. The method is developed within the framework of electronic structure theory (band theory) but, in contrast to conventional approaches, which are based on the single-particle picture, it is formulated within a many-particle picture in which n particles in d-dimensional phase space are treated as a single particle in a phase space of nd dimensions. In this phase space, interparticle interactions appear as external potentials allowing the treatment of the system of particles through the use of single-particle methods, while at the same time allowing a systematic, direct, and nonperturbative treatment of interparticle interactions. The method makes use of the invariance of the Hamiltonian describing an interacting-particle system under partitioning into subsystems of n particles. This treatment leads to exact results in the limit $n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}N$. Based on such partitioning, we propose a generalization of density functional theory and an appropriately defined local density approximation to treat the interactions between the n-particle units in a system of N>n particles. This approach yields n-particle correlated densities and n-particle states which can be used in an analysis of the electronic properties of materials, such as total energy, phase stability, electronic transport, and others. We use the formal construct of multiple-scattering theory to develop the method for the calculation of the two-particle electronic structure of a solid and the corresponding total energy of the ground state. We also illustrate some of the properties of the method in terms of a Hubbard model Hamiltonian on a linear ring. Various features of the method and further possible applications are presented in a discussion section.
In this paper, we propose a generic and systematic approach for study of the electronic structure for atoms or molecules. In particular, we address the issue of single particle states, or orbitals, which should be one of the most important aspects of a quantum many-body theory. We argue that the single-particle Green function provides a most general scheme for generating these single particle states or orbitals. We call them the correlated atomic or molecular orbitals to make a distinction from those determined from Hartree−Fock equation. We present the calculation of the single particle properties (i.e., the electron affinities (EA′s) and ionization potentials (IP′s)) for the H2O molecule using the correlated molecular orbitals in the context of quantum chemistry with a second-order self energy. We also calculate the total ground state energy with a single Slater wavefunction determined only from the hole states. Comparisons are made with available experimental data as well as with those from the Hartree−Fock or density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We conclude that the correlated atomic or molecular orbital approach provides a strictest and most powerful method for studying the single-particle properties of atoms or molecules. It also gives a better total energy than do the Hartree−Fock and DFT even at the single Slater determinant level. It promises that a correlation theory based on the correlated atomic or molecular orbitals will become an approach which possesses the advantages and also overcomes their shortcomings of current quantum chemistry methods based on either the conventional quantum many-body theory or the DFT.
A fermion ground state energy functional is set up in terms of particle density, relative pair density, and kinetic energy tensor density. It satisfies a minimum principle if constrained by a complete set of compatibility conditions. A partial set, which thereby results in a lower bound energy under minimization, is obtained from the solution of model systems, as well as a small number of exact sum rules. Prototypical application is made to several one-dimensional spinless noninteracting models. The effectiveness of ``atomic'' constraints on model ``molecules'' is observed, as well as the structure of systems with only finitely many bound states.
The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem and the Kohn-Sham equations, which are at the basis of the density-functional theory, are reformulated in terms of a particular many-body density, which is translational and Galilean invariant and therefore is relevant for self-bound systems. In a similar way that there is a unique relation between the one-body density and the external potential that gives rise to it, we demonstrate that there is a unique relation between that particular many-body density and a definite many-body potential. The energy is then a functional of this density, and its minimization leads to the ground-state energy of the system. As a proof of principle, the analogous of the Kohn-Sham equation is solved in the specific case of 4He atomic clusters, to put in evidence the advantages of this formulation in terms of physical insights.
There has been an enduring interest and controversy about whether or not one can define physically meaningful energy density and stress fields, e(r) and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\beta}}(\mathbf{r})$, in quantum systems. A key issue is the kinetic energy since the well-known forms, $\frac{1}{2}{|\mathbf{\ensuremath{\nabla}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}|}^{2}$ and $\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}{\ensuremath{\nabla}}^{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}$, lead to different densities, and analogous issues arise for interaction energy terms. This paper considers the ground state of a system of many interacting particles in an external potential, and presents a resolution to the problems in steps. (1) For the kinetic energy all effects of exchange and correlation are shown to be unique functions defined at each point r; all issues of nonuniqueness are relegated to terms that involve only the density n(r) and are equivalent to an effective single-particle problem with ground state wave function s(r)=n(r)/N. (2) Interactions can be considered in two ways: in terms of potentials acting on particles or in terms of the interaction fields, e.g., the Maxwell form in terms of electric fields. In each case, the problem reduces to a mean field part that is a function of the density and a part due to correlation that is uniquely defined; however, it is different for the two cases. (3) The final results follow from the nature of energy and stress. Because the energy determines the ground state itself through the variational principle, the energy density approach leads directly to kinetic energy in the form $\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}s{\ensuremath{\nabla}}^{2}s$ and interactions in terms of potentials acting on the particles. This leads naturally to density functional theory and provides an interpretation in which the energy density e(r) is equilibrated to minimize fluctuations with the same chemical potential at all points r. On the other hand, stress is related to forces, and the only physically acceptable expressions for the stress field involve the combination $\frac{1}{2}[s{\ensuremath{\nabla}}^{2}s\ensuremath{-}{|\mathbf{\ensuremath{\nabla}}s|}^{2}]$, as derived by Schr\"odinger, Pauli, and others, and Coulomb interactions in terms of electric fields, not potentials. Together these results lead to well-defined formulations of energy density and stress fields that are physically motivated and based on a clear set of arguments.
A system of N antisymmetric particles, moving under the influence of a fixed potential and their mutual many-particle interactions, is investigated in the ordinary Hartree-Fock scheme, having the total wave function approximated by a single Slater determinant. It is shown that all the density matrices of various orders, the wave function, and the entire physical situation depends only on a fundamental invariant $\ensuremath{\rho}({x}_{1}, {x}_{2})$, which is identical with the first-order density matrix. The Hartree-Fock equations are expressed in terms of this quantity.The Hartree-Fock equations are also solved by expanding the eigenfunctions in a given complete set, and applications to the MO-LCAO theory of the electronic structure of molecules, and crystals are given. It is shown that, in this scheme, the entire physical situation depends on a charge- and bond-order matrix $R(\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\mu})$ with respect to the ordinary atomic spin-orbitals involved. The Hartree-Fock equations for this matrix are investigated.Finally, the ionized and excited states are investigated, and it is shown that the Hartree-Fock scheme has a high degree of physical visuality also in case of many-particle interactions. The excitation energy of the system is the difference (${{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{j}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{i}$) between two "spin-orbital energies," being eigenvalues to the effective Hamiltonians associated with the two states under consideration.