Describing many-body quantum systems has been an analytically and computationally challenging task since the advent of quantum mechanics. However, in the past 50 years as a result of our technological advancement and the emergence of methods such as density-functional theory (DFT), we have taken crucial steps forward regarding our ability to study and understand large quantum systems. In this work,we have studied the extended Hubbard model using a mean-field approximation where we have tested an approach to the long-ranged electronic interaction that is not entirely local. We have developed a near-local approximation (NLA) for the model under study, where the exact non-local electronic interaction at site i is approximated using the densities at a pair of sites neighbouring i in addition to the density at i. As preliminary to a discussion of NLA, we showed results for the density of states of systems with a three-site supercell, thus providing a simple characterization of the mean-field treatment (in the case of local interactions only). When it comes to the main results of our work, i.e. a derivation and the testing of the NLA, our findings can be summarised as follows: we have found three NLA variants, namely a left site approximation (LSA), a right site approximation (RSA) and a center site approximation (CSA). Furthermore, we have found that CSA performs better than a local approximation both under the effect of a parabolic external potential and a distorted one. We have also found that the performance of LSA and RSA are scarce in general. Albeit this work (being based on the extended Hubbard model under a mean-field approximation) does not address exchange and correlation effects directly, it provides a first step towards future work where a near-local treatment is carried out on more accurate grounds.
Describing many-body quantum systems has been an analytically and computationally challenging task since the advent of quantum mechanics. However, in the past 50 years as a result of our technological advancement and the emergence of methods such as density-functional theory (DFT), we have taken crucial steps forward regarding our ability to study and understand large quantum systems. In this work,we have studied the extended Hubbard model using a mean-field approximation where we have tested an approach to the long-ranged electronic interaction that is not entirely local. We have developed a near-local approximation (NLA) for the model under study, where the exact non-local electronic interaction at site i is approximated using the densities at a pair of sites neighbouring i in addition to the density at i. As preliminary to a discussion of NLA, we showed results for the density of states of systems with a three-site supercell, thus providing a simple characterization of the mean-field treatment (in the case of local interactions only). When it comes to the main results of our work, i.e. a derivation and the testing of the NLA, our findings can be summarised as follows: we have found three NLA variants, namely a left site approximation (LSA), a right site approximation (RSA) and a center site approximation (CSA). Furthermore, we have found that CSA performs better than a local approximation both under the effect of a parabolic external potential and a distorted one. We have also found that the performance of LSA and RSA are scarce in general. Albeit this work (being based on the extended Hubbard model under a mean-field approximation) does not address exchange and correlation effects directly, it provides a first step towards future work where a near-local treatment is carried out on more accurate grounds.
In this Thesis, we develop and apply an accurate method to determine the ground-state properties of strongly-correlated electrons in the framework of lattice model Hamiltonians. In lattice density-functional theory (LDFT) the basic variable is the one-particle density matrix γ. From a generalized HK theorem, the ground state energy Egs[γgs] = minγ E[γ] is obtained by minimizing the energy-functional E[γ] over all the physical or representable γ. The energy functional can be divided into two contributions: the kinetic-energy functional T [γ], which linear dependence on γ is exactly known, and the correlation-energy functional W [γ], which dependence on γ is not explicitly known. Finding accurate approximations for W [γ] constitutes the actual challenge of this thesis. Part of this work is based on previous studies which derive an approximation of W [γ] for the Hubbard Hamiltonian based on scaling hypothesis and an exact analytical results for the Hubbard dimer. However, this approach is limited to spin independent and homogeneous systems. In order to extend the scope of LDFT, we have developed three different approaches to derive W [γ] in order to study broken symmetry problems. First we extend the previous scaling functional to system having charge transfer. By a systematic study of the dependence of W [γ] on the charge distribution we find similar scaling properties as for the homogeneous case. An extension to the Hubbard model on bipartite lattices is then derived and applied to finite and infinite systems with repulsive and attractive interactions. The high accuracy of this functional is demonstrated. Nevertheless, this approach is difficult to transfer to more complex systems, since the calculation of W [γ] applies to the system as a whole. To overcome this problem, we derive another approximation based on local scaling properties. This functional is formulated on-site so that it can be applied to any ordered or disordered Hamiltonian with on-site interaction. As applications we study the metal-insulator transition in the ionic Hubbard model in oneand two-dimensions, as well as the one-dimensional Hubbard chain with first and second nearest neighbor hoppings. Finally, we develop a numerical approach of W [γ], on the basis on exact diagonalizations of an effective many-body Hamiltonian corresponding to a cluster surrounded by an effective medium. This effective Hamiltonian depends on the density matrix γ and allows to derive approximation to W [γ] which improve systematically with increasing cluster size. The formulation is spin-dependent and allows a straightforward generalization to multi-orbital correlated systems such spd-Hamiltonians. In addition it take into account the effects of short-range charge and spin fluctuations in the functional. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated for the Hubbard model by comparison with the Bethe-Ansatz solution (1D) and quantum Monte Carlo simulations (2D). Finally, an outlook or relevant future developments of the theory is provided.
The attractive Hubbard model is investigated in the framework of lattice density-functional theory (LDFT). The ground-state energy E=T+W is regarded as a functional of the single-particle density matrix ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{ij}$ with respect to the lattice sites, where $T[\ensuremath{\gamma}]$ represents the kinetic and crystal-field energies and $W[\ensuremath{\gamma}]$ the interaction energy. Aside from the exactly known functional $T[\ensuremath{\gamma}]$, we propose a simple scaling approximation to $W[\ensuremath{\gamma}]$, which is based on exact analytic results for the attractive Hubbard dimer and on a scaling hypothesis within the domain of representability of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$. As applications, we consider one-, two-, and three-dimensional finite and extended bipartite lattices having homogeneous or alternating onsite energy levels. In addition, the Bethe lattice is investigated as a function of coordination number. Results are given for the kinetic, Coulomb, and total energies, as well as for the density distribution ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{ii}$, nearest-neighbor bond order ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{ij}$, and pairing energy $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{p}$, as a function of the interaction strength ∣U∣/t, onsite potential $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}/t$, and band filling n=Ne/Na. Remarkable even-odd and super-even oscillations of $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{p}$ are observed in finite rings as a function of band filling. Comparison with exact Lanczos diagonalizations and density-matrix renormalization-group calculations shows that LDFT yields a very good quantitative description of the properties of the model in the complete parameter range, thus providing a significant improvement over the mean-field approaches. Goals and limitations of the method are discussed.
The Hubbard model is investigated in the framework of lattice density functional theory (LDFT). The single-particle density matrix ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ with respect to the lattice sites is considered as the basic variable of the many-body problem. A new approximation to the interaction-energy functional $W[\ensuremath{\gamma}]$ is proposed which is based on its scaling properties and which recovers exactly the limit of strong electron correlations at half-band filling. In this way, a more accurate description of W is obtained throughout the domain of representability of ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{ij}},$ including the crossover from weak to strong correlations. As examples of applications results are given for the ground-state energy, charge-excitation gap, and charge susceptibility of the Hubbard model in one-, two-, and three-dimensional lattices. The performance of the method is demonstrated by comparison with available exact solutions, with numerical calculations, and with LDFT using a simpler dimer ansatz for W. Goals and limitations of the different approximations are discussed.
Abstract This paper is a first step toward rigorously establishing the validity of mean-field approximations for the dynamics of quantum systems in a large dimensional limit. Our result is a derivation of the large d mean-field limit of the Bose–Hubbard model on a square lattice. The Bose–Hubbard model effectively describes bosons on a lattice with on-site interactions and nearest-neighbour hopping, serving as a foundational framework for understanding strong particle interactions and the superfluid to Mott insulator phase transition. We prove a trace norm estimate between the one-lattice-site reduced density of the Schrödinger dynamics and the mean-field dynamics in the limit of large dimension. Here, the mean-field approximation is in the hopping amplitude and not in the interaction, leading to a very rich and non-trivial mean-field equation. This mean-field equation does not only describe the condensate, as is the case when the mean-field description comes from a large particle number limit averaging out the interaction, but it allows for a phase transition since it contains the full non-trivial interaction. Our work is a rigorous justification of a simple case of the highly successful dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) for bosons, which somewhat surprisingly yields many qualitatively correct results in three dimensions.
Accurate descriptions of the electronic properties of molecules, solids and other materials are crucial in the development of many modern technologies, and are therefore the subject of much scientific research. In tandem with experimental research, computational simulations play a huge role. Density functional theory (DFT) is the most popular method for performing ground-state electronic structure calculations due to its accuracy in many situations along with its computational efficiency. Its time-dependent extension (TDDFT) allows the modelling of the dynamics of systems of interacting electrons. (TD)DFT is an exact theory in principle, but requires approximations in practice, specifically to the many-body effects of electron exchange and correlation (xc), which are described by some unknown universal functional. Despite much success, it often proves inadequate in many scenarios of increasing interest. Therefore, we aim to contribute to the development of improved approximate density functionals. \n \nIn this thesis, we take the approach of studying small model systems for which we can compute the exact functionals. These systems are designed to exhibit the key features present in realistic quantum systems, such as atoms and molecules, which the exact universal (TD)DFT functional is capable of describing, but are often ill-described by the commonly used approximations. By analysing the nature of these exact functionals, we gain valuable insight into their fundamental properties, together with identifying where the current approximations are lacking, thereby allowing us to suggest how these approximations may be improved.
The dimerized one-dimensional Hubbard model is studied in the framework of lattice density-functional theory (LDFT). The single-particle density matrix ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ with respect to the lattice sites is considered as the basic variable. The corresponding interaction-energy functional $W[{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{ij}}]$ is defined by Levy's constrained search. Exact numerical results are obtained for $W({\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{12},{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{23}),$ where ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{12}={\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{i,i+1}$ for odd i and ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{23}={\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{i,i+1}$ for even i are the nearest-neighbor density-matrix elements along the chain. The domain of representability of ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ and the functional dependence of $W({\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{12},{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{23})$ are analyzed. A simple, explicit approximation to $W({\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{12},{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{23})$ is proposed, which is derived from scaling properties of W, exact dimer results, and known limits. Using this approximation, LDFT is applied to determine ground-state properties and charge-excitation gaps of finite and infinite dimerized chains as a function of the Coulomb-repulsion strength U/t and of the alternation $\ensuremath{\delta}t$ of the hopping integrals tij ${(t}_{\mathrm{ij}}=t\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\ensuremath{\delta}t).$ The accuracy of the method is demonstrated by comparison with available exact solutions and accurate numerical calculations. Goals and limitations of the present approach are discussed particularly concerning its ability to describe the crossover from weak to strong electron correlations.