A density matrix-based quasienergy formulation of the Kohn-Sham density functional response theory using...

A general method is presented for the calculation of molecular properties to arbitrary order at the Kohn-Sham density functional level of theory. The quasienergy and Lagrangian formalisms are combined to derive response functions and their residues by straightforward differentiation of the quasienergy derivative Lagrangian using the elements of the density matrix in the atomic orbital representation as variational parameters. Response functions and response equations are expressed in the atomic orbital basis, allowing recent advances in the field of linear-scaling methodology to be used. Time-dependent and static perturbations are treated on an equal footing, and atomic basis sets that depend on the applied frequency-dependent perturbations may be used, e.g., frequency-dependent London atomic orbitals. The 2n+1 rule may be applied if computationally favorable, but alternative formulations using higher-order perturbed density matrices are also derived. These may be advantageous in order to minimize the number of response equations that needs to be solved, for instance, when one of the perturbations has many components, as is the case for the first-order geometrical derivative of the hyperpolarizability.