Nonlinear Density Response and Higher Order Correlation Functions in Warm Dense Matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nonlinear electronic density response in warm dense matter, revealing its sensitivity to many-body correlation effects and proposing experimental methods to probe higher-order correlations.

Contribution

It extends previous PIMC results by linking nonlinear response to three- and four-body correlation functions, highlighting increased sensitivity to exchange-correlation effects.

Findings

Nonlinear response is highly sensitive to exchange-correlation effects.

The study establishes a connection between nonlinear response and many-body correlation functions.

Proposes experimental probing of higher-order correlations in warm dense matter.

Abstract

In a recent letter [\textit{Phys.~Rev.~Lett.}~\textbf{125}, 085001 (2020)], Dornheim \textit{et al.}~have presented the first \textit{ab initio} path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) results for the nonlinear electronic density response at warm dense matter (WDM) conditions. In the present work, we extend these considerations by exploring the relation between the nonlinear response and three-/four-body correlation functions from many-body theory. In particular, this connection directly implies a comparably increased sensitivity of the nonlinear response to electronic exchange-correlation (XC) effects, which is indeed confirmed by our analysis over the entire relevant range of densities ($r_s=0.5,\dots,10$) and temperatures ($\theta=0.01,\dots,4$). Finally, our work suggests the possibility of deliberately probing the nonlinear regime to experimentally probe three- and potentially even four-body correlation functions in WDM.