The key quantity in the formulation of linear-response theory within time-dependent density-functional theory is the so-called exchange-correlation (xc) kernel. This chapter discusses the properties of the xc kernel. In general, it is a complex and frequency-dependent object, and a functional of the ground-state density. Several exact properties such as the zero-force theorem, static and high-frequency limit, and the long-range behaviour are discussed. The xc kernel can be related to a time-dependent variational principle provided one pays attention to certain time-dependent boundary conditions to ensure causality. The adiabatic approximation of the xc kernel is discussed. Finally, the third section of the chapter reviews the xc kernel of the homogeneous electron liquid. Many of its exact properties are covered, such as the high- and low-frequency limit and the long-wavevector limit. Three widely used parametrizations are presented and the analytical behaviour in the complex frequency plane is investigated.
The exact exchange-correlation (xc) kernel ${f}_{\text{xc}}(x,{x}^{\ensuremath{'}},\ensuremath{\omega})$ of linear response time-dependent density functional theory is computed over a wide range of frequencies for three canonical one-dimensional finite systems. Methods used to ensure the numerical robustness of
fxc are set out. The frequency dependence of
fxc is found to be largely due to its analytic structure, i.e., its singularities at certain frequencies, which are required in order to capture particular transitions, including those of double excitation character. However, within the frequency range of the first few interacting excitations,
fxc is approximately $\ensuremath{\omega}$ independent, meaning the exact adiabatic approximation ${f}_{\text{xc}}(\ensuremath{\omega}=0)$ remedies the failings of the local density approximation and random phase approximation for these lowest transitions. The key differences between the exact
fxc and its common approximations are analyzed, and cannot be eliminated by exploiting the limited gauge freedom in
fxc. The optical spectrum benefits from using as accurate as possible an
fxc and ground-state xc potential, while maintaining exact compatibility between the two is of less importance.
This chapter reviews the properties of the time-dependent exchange-correlation (xc) potential. It starts with a discussion of the meaning of the universal xc functional, and then covers a number of exact conditions: the adiabatic limit, the zero-force theorem, freedom of self-interaction, sum rules, and various scaling properties. Next, Galiean invariance of the xc potential and the harmonic potential theorem are discussed. The xc potential has the intriguing property that it has a memory of the previous history of the system. The ramifications of this memory dependence are discussed, as well as causality properties. Another property is the dependence on the initial state of the system. Then, a time-dependent variational principle is presented which yields the xc potential, provided that one pays attention to certain boundary conditions. Finally, it is shown that the time-dependent xc potential has a discontinuity upon change of particle number.
This chapter presents various techniques from many-body theory to construct time-dependent exchange-correlation (xc) functionals. The first section introduces a perturbation theory along the so-called adiabatic connection. This leads to a perturbative expansion of the xc potential, with exact exchange representing the lowest order. The following section introduces nonequilibrium Green's functions along the Keldysh contour. A Keldysh action principle is formulated which yields a formally exact representation of the time-dependent xc potential. As an alternative, the xc potential is expressed through the so-called Sham-Schlüter equation. The third section establishes a connection between the xc kernels of time-dependent density-functional theory in linear response and many-body perturbation theory. A diagrammatic expansion of the xc kernel is given. Finally, an expression for the xc kernel is derived starting from the Bethe-Salpeter equation. This xc kernel gives excellent agreement with experimental optical absorption spectra of insulators, including excitonic features.
We express the high-frequency (antiadiabatic) limit of the exchange-correlation (xc) kernels of an inhomogeneous electron gas in terms of the following equilibrium properties: the ground-state density, the xc kinetic stress tensor, the pair-correlation function and the ground-state xc potential. Of these quantities, the first three are amenable to exact evaluation by quantum Monte Carlo methods while the last can be obtained from the inversion of the Kohn-Sham equation for the ground-state orbitals. The exact scalar kernel, in this limit, is found to be of very long range in space, at variance with the kernel that is used in the standard local density approximation. The antiadiabatic xc kernels will be useful in calculations of excitation energies by time-dependent density-functional theory in atoms, molecules, and solids, and provide a solid basis for interpolation between the low- and high-frequency limits of the xc kernels.
This chapter discusses the linear-response framework of time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT). It begins with a thorough and self-contained exposition of general linear-response theory for many-body systems. The time-dependent as well as the frequency-dependent response are discussed. Several exact representations and properties of the density-density response function are reviewed, such as the Lehmann representation and fluctuation-dissipation theorem, and the Kramers-Kronig relations. It is shown how several important spectroscopic observables are obtained from linear-response theory. Then, the TDDFT formulation of linear-response theory is derived. The key quantity in this formalism is the so-called exchange-correlation kernel. The remainder of the chapter demonstrates how this linear-response formalism can be used to calculate excitation energies in principle exactly with TDDFT. The Casida equation is derived, as well as several approximate schemes. A comparison is made with time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory.
The dynamical exchange-correlation kernel f{xc} of a nonuniform electron gas is an essential input for the time-dependent density-functional theory of electronic systems. The long-wavelength behavior of this kernel is known to be of the form f{xc}=alpha/q{2} where q is the wave vector and alpha is a frequency-dependent coefficient. We show that in the limit of weak nonuniformity the coefficient alpha has a simple and exact expression in terms of the ground-state density and the frequency-dependent kernel of a uniform electron gas at the average density. We present an approximate evaluation of this expression for Si and discuss its implications for the theory of excitonic effects.