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The Hartree–Fock approximation

Helmut Hofmann

Published Apr 17, 2008• 0 citations
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Abstract

Abstract This chapter formulates the Hartree-Fock approximation with density matrices, and discusses the properties of the Hartree-Fock equations together with the energy functional for the ground state energy. A generalization to finite thermal excitations is performed by applying the variational principle to the grand canonical ensemble. Finally, the equations for time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) are described both at zero and at finite temperature.

DOI
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198504016.003.0020

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Abstract This chapter formulates the Hartree-Fock approximation with density matrices, and discusses the properties of the Hartree-Fock equations together with the energy functional for the ground state energy. A generalization to finite thermal excitations is performed by applying the variational principle to the grand canonical ensemble. Finally, the equations for time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) are described both at zero and at finite temperature.
The hierarchy equations for the quantum thermal density matrices of an assembly of interacting particles in an external potential are derived in a compact form. This approach can complement and finally replace the phenomenological treatment of the thermodynamic properties of quantum gasses, liquids, and solids. We also derive a temperature Hartree-Fock approximation for fermions based on the symmetry properties of the exact hierarchy and finally we discuss the present approximation in relation to that of Kaplan and Argyres [T. A. Kaplan and P. N. Argyres, Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 92, 1 (1975)].
In parallel with standard density-functional theory, we study the energy of the ground state of a finite many-body system as a functional of the one-particle density matrix. We show that the formulation of a variational principle that is valid beyond the Hartree-Fock limit requires that two-body correlations be included not only in the ground-state energy but also in the constraints. As an illustration, we apply a linear-response argument to derive formulas for first-order corrections to the Hartree-Fock density matrix. Further analysis suggests an approach in terms of the density matrix of an independent-particle system, which can be introduced by the application of an alternative variational principle. This approach is reminiscent of Kohn-Sham theory, but the effective external potential is not required to be local. This variational method can be implemented in a systematic fashion by means of the linked-cluster expansion. In an appendix we study a variant of the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem for nonlocal potentials.
In this paper we derive a formula for the time-dependent Hartree-Fock dielectric function by using Green's-function theory. We develop a set of self-consistent equations for the self energy, polarization, and Green's function which can be iterated to obtain successively more accurate approximations for the polarization. In this procedure the Hartree and Hartree-Fock approximations occur naturally as the first and second steps in the iterations. As the iterations are carried out, we obtain not only the expressions for the polarization, but also the one-electron Hartree-Fock equations, so that there is no question as to which polarization formula corresponds to which equation. In this way we obtain an expression for the dielectric function which clearly and directly corresponds to the Hartree-Fock equation and which is therefore called the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) dielectric function. In this TDHF formula for the dielectric function, the first term is the time-dependent Hartree or random-phase approximation dielectric function. We show that in order to be consistent with the theory, one should use Hartree wave functions and energies to compute random-phase approximation dielectric functions and Hartree-Fock wave functions and energies to compute TDHF dielectric functions. Numerical results are presented for the free-electron gas.
A Gaussian operator representation for the many-body density matrix of fermionic systems, developed by Corney and Drummond [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 260401 (2004)], is used to derive approximate decoupling schemes for their dynamics. In this approach the reduced single electron density-matrix elements serve as stochastic variables which satisfy an exact Fokker-Planck equation. The number of variables scales as $\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{2}$ rather than $\ensuremath{\sim}\text{exp}(N)$ with the basis set size, and the time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation (TDHF) is recovered in the ``classical'' limit. An approximate closed set of equations of motion for the one- and two-particle reduced density matrices provides a direct generalization of the TDHF.
The equilibrium state of a system consisting of a large number of strongly interacting electrons can be characterized by its density operator. This gives a direct access to the ground-state energy or, at finite temperatures, to the free energy of the system as well as to other static physical quantities. Elementary excitations of the system, on the other hand, are described within the language of Green's functions, i.e. time- or frequency-dependent dynamic quantities which give a direct access to the linear response of the system subjected to a weak time-dependent external perturbation. A typical example is angle-revolved photoemission spectroscopy which is linked to the single-electron Green's function. Since usually both, the static as well as the dynamic physical quantities, cannot be obtained exactly for lattice fermion models like the Hubbard model, one has to resort to approximations. Opposed to more ad hoc treatments, variational principles promise to provide consistent and controlled approximations. Here, the Ritz principle and a generalized version of the Ritz principle at finite temperatures for the static case on the one hand and a dynamical variational principle for the single-electron Green's function or the self-energy on the other hand are introduced, discussed in detail and compared to each other to show up conceptual similarities and differences. In particular, the construction recipe for non-perturbative dynamic approximations is taken over from the construction of static mean-field theory based on the generalized Ritz principle. Within the two different frameworks, it is shown which types of approximations are accessible, and their respective weaknesses and strengths are worked out. Static Hartree-Fock theory as well as dynamical mean-field theory are found as the prototypical approximations.
A system of NNN 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.