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7.3 Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT)

7.3.1 Brief Introduction

(May 21, 2025)

Excited states may be obtained from density functional theory via linear response, 340 Dreuw A., Head-Gordon M.
Chem. Rev.
(2005), 105, pp. 4009.
Link
which for historical reasons is known as “time-dependent” (TD-)DFT. This should not be confused with the explicitly time-dependent methods that are discussed in Section 7.4, however linear-response DFT is nearly universally called TDDFT and we shall use that nomenclature as well. This approach calculates poles in the response of the ground state density to a time-varying applied electric field. These poles are Bohr frequencies, or in other words the excitation energies. Operationally, this involves solution of an eigenvalue equation

(𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐀)(𝐱𝐲)=ω(-𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟏)(𝐱𝐲) (7.15)

where the elements of the matrix 𝐀 similar to those used at the CIS level, Eq. (7.11), but with an exchange-correlation correction. Elements of 𝐁 are similar. Equation (7.15) is solved iteratively for the lowest few excitation energies, ω. Alternatively, one can make a Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA) in which the “de-excitation” amplitudes 𝐘 are neglected. 559 Hirata S., Head-Gordon M.
Chem. Phys. Lett.
(1999), 314, pp. 291.
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In that case, the 𝐁 matrix is not required and Eq. (7.15) reduces to a CIS-like equation 𝐀𝐱=ω𝐱.

TDDFT is popular because its computational cost is roughly similar to that of the simple CIS method, but a description of differential electron correlation effects is implicit in the method. It is advisable to only employ TDDFT for low-lying valence excited states that are below the first ionization potential of the molecule, or more conservatively, below the first Rydberg state, and in such cases the valence excitation energies are often remarkably improved relative to CIS, with an accuracy of 0.3 eV for many functionals. 745 Laurent A. D., Jacquemin D.
Int. J. Quantum Chem.
(2013), 113, pp. 2019.
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The calculation of the nuclear gradients of full TDDFT and within the TDA is implemented. 810 Liu F. et al.
Mol. Phys.
(2010), 108, pp. 2791.
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Standard TDDFT also does not yield a good description of static correlation effects (see Section 6.14), because it is based on a single reference configuration of Kohn-Sham orbitals. A variant called spin-flip (SF) TDDFT has been developed to address this issue. 1185 Shao Y., Head-Gordon M., Krylov A. I.
J. Chem. Phys.
(2003), 118, pp. 4807.
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SF-TDDFT is different from standard TDDFT in two ways:

  • The reference is a high-spin triplet (quartet) for a system with an even (odd) number of electrons;

  • One electron is spin-flipped from an alpha Kohn-Sham orbital to a beta orbital during the excitation.

SF-TDDFT can describe the ground state as well as a few low-lying excited states, and has been applied to bond-breaking processes, and di- and tri-radicals with degenerate or near-degenerate frontier orbitals. A SF-TDDFT method with a non-collinear exchange-correlation potential, originally developed by Ziegler and co-workers, 1362 Wang F., Ziegler T.
J. Chem. Phys.
(2004), 121, pp. 12191.
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, 1179 Seth M., Mazur G., Ziegler T.
Theor. Chem. Acc.
(2011), 129, pp. 331.
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has also been implemented. 112 Bernard Y. A., Shao Y., Krylov A. I.
J. Chem. Phys.
(2012), 136, pp. 204103.
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This non-collinear version sometimes improves upon collinear SF-TDDFT for excitation energies but contains a factor of spin density (ρα-ρβ) in the denominator that sometimes causes stability problems. Best results are obtained using functionals with 50% Hartree-Fock exchange, 1185 Shao Y., Head-Gordon M., Krylov A. I.
J. Chem. Phys.
(2003), 118, pp. 4807.
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, 112 Bernard Y. A., Shao Y., Krylov A. I.
J. Chem. Phys.
(2012), 136, pp. 204103.
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behavior that was later explained on theoretical grounds. 583 Huix-Rotllant M. et al.
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.
(2010), 12, pp. 12811.
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Becke’s half-and-half functional BH&HLYP has become something of a standard approach when using SF-TDDFT. A spin-adapted version of SF-TDDFT has also been developed. 1474 Zhang X., Herbert J. M.
J. Chem. Phys.
(2015), 143, pp. 234107.
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