The frequency-dependent exchange-correlation potential, which appears in the usual Kohn-Sham formulation of a time-dependent linear response problem, is a strongly nonlocal functional of the density, so that a consistent local density approximation generally does not exist. This problem can be avoided by choosing the current density as the basic variable in a generalized Kohn-Sham theory. This theory admits a local approximation which, for fixed frequency, is exact in the limit of slowly varying densities and perturbing potentials.
This chapter discusses time-dependent current-density-functional theory (TDCDFT). It first asks under what circumstances one should choose the current density as basic variable, instead of the particle density. There are several reasons: a current-based formulation is more suitable for constructing functionals beyond the adiabatic approximation. Furthermore, the current is the natural variable to describe coupling to electromagnetic fields and vector potentials. The basic existence theorems of TDCDFT are proved, and several exact properties and the linear-response regime are discussed. The second half of the chapter deals with the so-called Vignale-Kohn functional, which is a local and frequency-dependent approximation to the exchange-correlation vector potential. The Vignale-Kohn functional is expressed in terms of viscoelastic stresses in the electron liquid. Several applications in the linear-response regime and in real time are presented. The Vignale-Kohn functional works well for describing dissipative effects in collective, plasmon-like electron dynamics.
We propose a memory form of exchange-correlation potential
vXC(r,t) for time-dependent interacting many-particle systems. Unlike previous memory-XC potentials, our
vXC is not limited to the linear response regime. The proposed form of
vXC is a generalized local-density approximation chosen so as to satisfy the nonlinear harmonic potential theorem and Newton's third law. For the case of the inhomogeneous electron gas, we give an explicit prescription for
vXC based solely on an existing parametrization of the linear XC response kernel ${f}_{\mathrm{XC}}^{\mathrm{hom}}(n,\ensuremath{\omega})$ of the uniform gas. Application to quantum wells seems promising.