- Open Access
Non-Hermitian Green’s function theory with -body interactions: The coupled-cluster similarity transformation
Phys. Rev. Research 8, 013322 – Published 26 March, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/9vdr-vhxg
Abstract
We present the diagrammatic theory of the irreducible self-energy and Bethe-Salpeter kernel that naturally arises within the Green’s function formalism for a general -body non-Hermitian interaction. In this work, we focus specifically on the coupled-cluster (CC) self-energy generated by the similarity transformation of the electronic structure Hamiltonian. The main result of this work is a Green’s function formalism for non-Hermitian many-body quantum systems. We develop the biorthogonal quantum theory to construct dynamical correlation functions where the time dependence of operators is governed by a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. We extend the Gell-Mann and Low theorem to include non-Hermitian interactions and to generate perturbative expansions of many-body Green’s functions. We introduce the single-particle coupled-cluster Green’s function and derive the perturbative diagrammatic expansion for the non-Hermitian coupled-cluster self-energy in terms of the “noninteracting” reference Green’s function, . From the exact equation of motion of the single-particle coupled-cluster Green’s function, we derive the self-consistent renormalized coupled-cluster self-energy, , and demonstrate its relationship to the perturbative expansion of the self-energy, . Subsequently, we show that the usual electronic self-energy can be recovered from the coupled-cluster self-energy by neglecting the effects of the similarity transformation. We show how the coupled-cluster ground-state energy can be obtained from the coupled-cluster self-energy and provide an overview of the relationship between approximations for the coupled-cluster self-energy, ionization potential/electron affinity equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theory, and the approximation. As a result, we introduce the CC- self-energy by leveraging the connections between Green’s function and coupled-cluster theory. Finally, we derive the diagrammatic expansion of the coupled-cluster Bethe-Salpeter kernel.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Article Text
References (116)
- A. Fetter and J. D. Walecka, Quantum Theory of Many Particle Systems (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1971).
- G. D. Mahan, Many-Particle Physics (Springer Science & Business Media, New York, 2000).
- G. Stefanucci and R. Van Leeuwen, Nonequilibrium Many-Body Theory of Quantum Systems: A Modern Introduction (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2013).
- L. Hedin, New method for calculating the one-particle Green’s function with application to the electron-gas problem, Phys. Rev. 139, A796 (1965).
- C. Barbieri and A. Carbone, Self-consistent Green’s function approaches, in An Advanced Course in Computational Nuclear Physics: Bridging the Scales from Quarks to Neutron Stars, edited by M. Hjorth-Jensen, M. P. Lombardo, and U. van Kolck (Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2017), pp. 571–664.
- F. Aryasetiawan and O. Gunnarsson, The method, Rep. Prog. Phys. 61, 237 (1998).
- M. S. Hybertsen and S. G. Louie, Electron correlation in semiconductors and insulators: Band gaps and quasiparticle energies, Phys. Rev. B 34, 5390 (1986).
- M. Rohlfing and S. G. Louie, Electron-hole excitations and optical spectra from first principles, Phys. Rev. B 62, 4927 (2000).
- P. Romaniello, S. Guyot, and L. Reining, The self-energy beyond : Local and nonlocal vertex corrections, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 154111 (2009).
- P. Romaniello, F. Bechstedt, and L. Reining, Beyond the approximation: Combining correlation channels, Phys. Rev. B 85, 155131 (2012).
- S. Hirata, A. E. Doran, P. J. Knowles, and J. V. Ortiz, One-particle many-body Green’s function theory: Algebraic recursive definitions, linked-diagram theorem, irreducible-diagram theorem, and general-order algorithms, J. Chem. Phys. 147, 044108 (2017).
- A. Carbone, A. Cipollone, C. Barbieri, A. Rios, and A. Polls, Self-consistent Green’s functions formalism with three-body interactions, Phys. Rev. C 88, 054326 (2013).
- F. Raimondi and C. Barbieri, Algebraic diagrammatic construction formalism with three-body interactions, Phys. Rev. C 97, 054308 (2018).
- C. M. Bender and S. Boettcher, Real spectra in non-Hermitian Hamiltonians having PT symmetry, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 5243 (1998).
- C. M. Bender, Making sense of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, Rep. Prog. Phys. 70, 947 (2007).
- C. M. Bender and D. W. Hook, -symmetric quantum mechanics, Rev. Mod. Phys. 96, 045002 (2024).
- Y. Ashida, Z. Gong, and M. Ueda, Non-Hermitian physics, Adv. Phys. 69, 249 (2020).
- V. Meden, L. Grunwald, and D. M. Kennes, -symmetric, non-Hermitian quantum many-body physics—A methodological perspective, Rep. Prog. Phys. 86, 124501 (2023).
- E. J. Bergholtz, J. C. Budich, and F. K. Kunst, Exceptional topology of non-Hermitian systems, Rev. Mod. Phys. 93, 015005 (2021).
- G. Barontini, R. Labouvie, F. Stubenrauch, A. Vogler, V. Guarrera, and H. Ott, Controlling the dynamics of an open many-body quantum system with localized dissipation, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 035302 (2013).
- N. Shibata and H. Katsura, Dissipative spin chain as a non-Hermitian Kitaev ladder, Phys. Rev. B 99, 174303 (2019).
- G. Stefanucci, Kadanoff-Baym equations for interacting systems with dissipative Lindbladian dynamics, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 066901 (2024).
- M. Šindelka, L. F. Santos, and N. Moiseyev, Excited-state quantum phase transitions studied from a non-Hermitian perspective, Phys. Rev. A 95, 010103(R) (2017).
- K. Wang, X. Qiu, L. Xiao, X. Zhan, Z. Bian, W. Yi, and P. Xue, Simulating dynamic quantum phase transitions in photonic quantum walks, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 020501 (2019).
- K. Wang, X. Qiu, L. Xiao, X. Zhan, Z. Bian, B. C. Sanders, W. Yi, and P. Xue, Observation of emergent momentum–time skyrmions in parity–time-symmetric non-unitary quench dynamics, Nat. Commun. 10, 2293 (2019).
- X. Zhang, K. Hu, and F. Li, Nonadiabatic dynamics in non-Hermitian quantum systems from the quantum metric perspective, Phys. Rev. B 112, 224305 (2025).
- R. El-Ganainy, K. G. Makris, M. Khajavikhan, Z. H. Musslimani, S. Rotter, and D. N. Christodoulides, Non-Hermitian physics and PT symmetry, Nat. Phys. 14, 11 (2018).
- M.-A. Miri and A. Alu, Exceptional points in optics and photonics, Science 363, eaar7709 (2019).
- H. M. Hurst and B. Flebus, Non-Hermitian physics in magnetic systems, J. Appl. Phys. 132, 220902 (2022).
- J. Liang, H. Zheng, F. Jin, R. Bao, K. Dini, J. Ren, Y. Liu, M. Król, E. A. Ostrovskaya, E. Estrecho, B. Zhang, T. C. H. Liew, and R. Su, Twist-induced non-Hermitian topology of exciton–polaritons, Nat. Phys. 22, 151 (2025).
- Q. Liang, D. Xie, Z. Dong, H. Li, H. Li, B. Gadway, W. Yi, and B. Yan, Dynamic signatures of non-Hermitian skin effect and topology in ultracold atoms, Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 070401 (2022).
- E. Zhao, Z. Wang, C. He, T. F. J. Poon, K. K. Pak, Y.-J. Liu, P. Ren, X.-J. Liu, and G.-B. Jo, Two-dimensional non-Hermitian skin effect in an ultracold Fermi gas, Nature (London) 637, 565 (2025).
- I. Shavitt and R. J. Bartlett, Many-Body Methods in Chemistry and Physics: MBPT and Coupled-Cluster Theory (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2009).
- T. Helgaker, P. Jorgensen, and J. Olsen, Molecular Electronic-Structure Theory (John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 2013).
- M. Nooijen and J. G. Snijders, Coupled-cluster approach to the single-particle Green’s function, Int. J. Quantum Chem. 44, 55 (1992).
- M. Nooijen and J. G. Snijders, Coupled-cluster Green’s function method: Working equations and applications, Int. J. Quantum Chem. 48, 15 (1993).
- B. Peng and K. Kowalski, Coupled-cluster Green’s function: Analysis of properties originating in the exponential parametrization of the ground-state wave function, Phys. Rev. A 94, 062512 (2016).
- B. Peng and K. Kowalski, Green’s function coupled-cluster approach: Simulating photoelectron spectra for realistic molecular systems, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 14, 4335 (2018).
- A. Shee and D. Zgid, Coupled-cluster as an impurity solver for Green’s function embedding methods, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 15, 6010 (2019).
- B. Peng, N. P. Bauman, S. Gulania, and K. Kowalski, Coupled-cluster Green’s function: Past, present, and future, in Annual Reports in Computational Chemistry (Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2021), Vol. 17, pp. 23–53.
- A. Shee, C.-N. Yeh, and D. Zgid, Exploring coupled-cluster Green’s function as a method for treating system and environment in Green’s function embedding methods, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 18, 664 (2022).
- O. J. Backhouse and G. H. Booth, Constructing “full-frequency” spectra via moment constraints for coupled-cluster Green’s functions, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 18, 6622 (2022).
- C. J. N. Coveney and D. P. Tew, Diagrammatic theory of the irreducible coupled-cluster self-energy, Phys. Rev. B 112, 045104 (2025).
- R. Quintero-Monsebaiz, E. Monino, A. Marie, and P.-F. Loos, Connections between many-body perturbation and coupled-cluster theories, J. Chem. Phys. 157, 231102 (2022).
- E. Monino and P.-F. Loos, Connections and performances of Green’s function methods for charged and neutral excitations, J. Chem. Phys. 159, 034105 (2023).
- J. Tölle and G. K.-L. Chan, Exact relationships between the approximation and equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theories through the quasi-boson formalism, J. Chem. Phys. 158, 124123 (2023).
- V. Rishi, A. Perera, and R. J. Bartlett, A route to improving RPA excitation energies through its connection to equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theory, J. Chem. Phys. 153, 234101 (2020).
- M. F. Lange and T. C. Berkelbach, On the relation between equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theory and the approximation, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 14, 4224 (2018).
- G. E. Scuseria, T. M. Henderson, and D. C. Sorensen, The ground state correlation energy of the random phase approximation from a ring coupled cluster doubles approach, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 231101 (2008).
- J. Tölle, Fully analytic nuclear gradients, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 16, 3672 (2025).
- J. Tölle, M.-P. Kitsaras, and P.-F. Loos, Fully analytic nuclear gradients for the Bethe–Salpeter equation, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 16, 11134 (2025).
- C. J. N. Coveney, Uncovering relationships between the electronic self-energy and coupled-cluster doubles theory, J. Phys. Chem. A 129, 8689 (2025).
- J. J. Phillips and D. Zgid, Communication: The description of strong correlation within self-consistent Green’s function second-order perturbation theory, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 241101 (2014).
- D. Neuhauser, R. Baer, and D. Zgid, Stochastic self-consistent second-order Green’s function method for correlation energies of large electronic systems, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 13, 5396 (2017).
- A. A. Kananenka, A. R. Welden, T. N. Lan, E. Gull, and D. Zgid, Efficient temperature-dependent Green’s function methods for realistic systems: Using cubic spline interpolation to approximate Matsubara Green’s functions, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 12, 2250 (2016).
- L. Reining, The approximation: Content, successes and limitations, WIREs Comput. Mol. Sci. 8, e1344 (2018).
- O. J. Backhouse and G. H. Booth, Efficient excitations and spectra within a perturbative renormalization approach, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 16, 6294 (2020).
- O. J. Backhouse, M. Nusspickel, and G. H. Booth, Wave function perspective and efficient truncation of renormalized second-order perturbation theory, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 16, 1090 (2020).
- P. Pokhilko, S. Iskakov, C.-N. Yeh, and D. Zgid, Evaluation of two-particle properties within finite-temperature self-consistent one-particle Green’s function methods: Theory and application to and GF2, J. Chem. Phys. 155, 024119 (2021).
- C. J. C. Scott, O. J. Backhouse, and G. H. Booth, A moment-conserving reformulation of theory, J. Chem. Phys. 158, 124102 (2023).
- J. Schirmer, Many-Body Methods for Atoms, Molecules and Clusters, edited by B. Carpenter, P. Ceroni, B. Kirchner, K. Landfester, J. Leszczynski, T.-Y. Luh, E. Perlt, N. C. Polfer, and R. Salzer (Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2018), Vol. 94.
- V. M. Galitskii and A. B. Migdal, Application of quantum field theory methods to the many-body problem, Sov. Phys. JETP 7, 18 (1958).
- M. Gell-Mann and F. E. Low, Quantum electrodynamics at small distances, Phys. Rev. 95, 1300 (1954).
- D. C. Brody, Biorthogonal quantum mechanics, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 47, 035305 (2014).
- J. Southall, D. Hodgson, R. Purdy, and A. Beige, Comparing Hermitian and non-Hermitian quantum electrodynamics, Symmetry 14, 1816 (2022).
- D. C. Brody, Consistency of PT-symmetric quantum mechanics, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 49, 10LT03 (2016).
- W. Pauli, On Dirac’s new method of field quantization, Rev. Mod. Phys. 15, 175 (1943).
- A. Mostafazadeh, Pseudo-Hermiticity versus PT-symmetry III: Equivalence of pseudo-Hermiticity and the presence of antilinear symmetries, J. Math. Phys. 43, 3944 (2002).
- P. A. M. Dirac, The Principles of Quantum Mechanics (Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 1981), Vol. 27.
- C. M. Bender, D. C. Brody, and H. F. Jones, Complex extension of quantum mechanics, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 270401 (2002).
- Y.-G. Miao and Z.-M. Xu, Investigation of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians in the Heisenberg picture, Phys. Lett. A 380, 1805 (2016).
- R. A. Chiles and C. E. Dykstra, An electron pair operator approach to coupled-cluster wave functions. Application to , and and comparison with CEPA methods, J. Chem. Phys. 74, 4544 (1981).
- N. C. Handy, J. A. Pople, M. Head-Gordon, K. Raghavachari, and G. W. Trucks, Size-consistent Brueckner theory limited to double substitutions, Chem. Phys. Lett. 164, 185 (1989).
- D. P. Tew, Explicitly correlated coupled-cluster theory with Brueckner orbitals, J. Chem. Phys. 145, 074103 (2016).
- Y. Takasu, T. Yagami, Y. Ashida, R. Hamazaki, Y. Kuno, and Y. Takahashi, PT-symmetric non-Hermitian quantum many-body system using ultracold atoms in an optical lattice with controlled dissipation, Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. 2020, 12A110 (2020).
- J. Gauss and J. F. Stanton, Coupled-cluster calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts, J. Chem. Phys. 103, 3561 (1995).
- S. Hirata, I. Grabowski, J. V. Ortiz, and R. J. Bartlett, Nonconvergence of the Feynman-Dyson diagrammatic perturbation expansion of propagators, Phys. Rev. A 109, 052220 (2024).
- R. D. Mattuck and A. Theumann, Expressing the decoupled equations of motion for the Green’s function as a partial sum of Feynman diagrams, Adv. Phys. 20, 721 (1971).
- J. Winter, Study of core excitations in one-particle and one-holf nuclei by means of the six-point Green function, Nucl. Phys. A 194, 535 (1972).
- J. Schirmer, L. S. Cederbaum, and O. Walter, New approach to the one-particle Green’s function for finite Fermi systems, Phys. Rev. A 28, 1237 (1983).
- F. Bruneval, A. Förster, and Y. Pavlyukh, +2SOSEX self-energy made positive semidefinite, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 21, 10223 (2025).
- M. Nooijen and R. J. Bartlett, Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for electron attachment, J. Chem. Phys. 102, 3629 (1995).
- S. Hirata, M. Nooijen, and R. J. Bartlett, High-order determinantal equation-of-motion coupled-cluster calculations for electronic excited states, Chem. Phys. Lett. 326, 255 (2000).
- S. Hirata, M. Nooijen, and R. J. Bartlett, High-order determinantal equation-of-motion coupled-cluster calculations for ionized and electron-attached states, Chem. Phys. Lett. 328, 459 (2000).
- V. Somà, T. Duguet, and C. Barbieri, Ab initio self-consistent Gorkov-Green’s function calculations of semimagic nuclei: Formalism at second order with a two-nucleon interaction, Phys. Rev. C 84, 064317 (2011).
- C. Barbieri, T. Duguet, and V. Somà, Gorkov algebraic diagrammatic construction formalism at third order, Phys. Rev. C 105, 044330 (2022).
- H.-G. Weikert, H.-D. Meyer, L. S. Cederbaum, and F. Tarantelli, Block Lanczos and many-body theory: Application to the one-particle Green’s function, J. Chem. Phys. 104, 7122 (1996).
- F. Marino, W. G. Jiang, and S. J. Novario, Diagrammatic ab initio methods for infinite nuclear matter with modern chiral interactions, Phys. Rev. C 110, 054322 (2024).
- V. Soma, C. Barbieri, and T. Duguet, Ab initio self-consistent Gorkov-Green’s function calculations of semi-magic nuclei: Numerical implementation at second order with a two-nucleon interaction, Phys. Rev. C 89, 024323 (2014).
- S. J. Bintrim and T. C. Berkelbach, Full-frequency without frequency, J. Chem. Phys. 154, 041101 (2021).
- S. J. Bintrim and T. C. Berkelbach, Full-frequency dynamical Bethe–Salpeter equation without frequency and a study of double excitations, J. Chem. Phys. 156, 044114 (2022).
- M. Nooijen and R. J. Bartlett, Similarity transformed equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theory: Details, examples, and comparisons, J. Chem. Phys. 107, 6812 (1997).
- J. F. Stanton and J. Gauss, A simple scheme for the direct calculation of ionization potentials with coupled-cluster theory that exploits established excitation energy methods, J. Chem. Phys. 111, 8785 (1999).
- M. Musiał, S. A. Kucharski, and R. J. Bartlett, Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method with full inclusion of the connected triple excitations for ionized states: IP-EOM-CCSDT, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 1128 (2003).
- E. Opoku, F. Pawłowski, and J. V. Ortiz, A new generation of non-diagonal, renormalized self-energies for calculation of electron removal energies, J. Chem. Phys. 159, 124109 (2023).
- E. Opoku, F. Pawłowski, and J. V. Ortiz, New-generation electron-propagator methods for calculations of electron affinities and ionization energies: Tests on organic photovoltaic molecules, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 20, 290 (2024).
- E. Opoku, F. Pawłowski, and J. V. Ortiz, New-generation electron-propagator methods for molecular electron-binding energies, J. Phys. Chem. A 128, 1399 (2024).
- F. Marino, C. Barbieri, and G. Colò, Gorkov algebraic diagrammatic construction for infinite nuclear matter, arXiv:2601.03763.
- G. Riva, P. Romaniello, and J. A. Berger, Multichannel Dyson equation: Coupling many-body Green’s functions, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 216401 (2023).
- G. Riva, P. Romaniello, and J. A. Berger, Derivation and analysis of the multichannel Dyson equation, Phys. Rev. B 110, 115140 (2024).
- T. C. Berkelbach, Communication: Random-phase approximation excitation energies from approximate equation-of-motion coupled-cluster doubles, J. Chem. Phys. 149, 041103 (2018).
- G. E. Scuseria, T. M. Henderson, and I. W. Bulik, Particle-particle and quasiparticle random phase approximations: Connections to coupled-cluster theory, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 104113 (2013).
- G. Strinati, Application of the Green’s functions method to the study of the optical properties of semiconductors, Riv. Nuovo Cimento 11, 1 (1988).
- P. Romaniello, D. Sangalli, J. A. Berger, F. Sottile, L. G. Molinari, L. Reining, and G. Onida, Double excitations in finite systems, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 044108 (2009).
- D. Zhang, S. N. Steinmann, and W. Yang, Dynamical second-order Bethe-Salpeter equation kernel: A method for electronic excitation beyond the adiabatic approximation, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 154109 (2013).
- D. Sangalli, P. Romaniello, G. Onida, and A. Marini, Double excitations in correlated systems: A many–body approach, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 034115 (2011).
- E. Rebolini and J. Toulouse, Range-separated time-dependent density-functional theory with a frequency-dependent second-order Bethe-Salpeter correlation kernel, J. Chem. Phys. 144, 094107 (2016).
- V. Olevano, J. Toulouse, and P. Schuck, A formally exact one-frequency-only Bethe-Salpeter-like equation: Similarities and differences between +BSE and self-consistent RPA, J. Chem. Phys. 150, 084112 (2019).
- A. Marie, P. Romaniello, X. Blase, and P.-F. Loos, Anomalous propagators and the particle–particle channel: Bethe–Salpeter equation, J. Chem. Phys. 162, 134105 (2025).
- A. Köhn and A. Tajti, Can coupled-cluster theory treat conical intersections? J. Chem. Phys. 127, 044105 (2007).
- E. F. Kjønstad and H. Koch, Resolving the notorious case of conical intersections for coupled cluster dynamics, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 8, 4801 (2017).
- N. C. Handy, Energies and expectation values for Be by the transcorrelated method, J. Chem. Phys. 51, 3205 (1969).
- S. Tsuneyuki, Transcorrelated method: Another possible way towards electronic structure calculation of solids, Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl. 176, 134 (2008).
- S. McArdle and D. P. Tew, Improving the accuracy of quantum computational chemistry using the transcorrelated method, arXiv:2006.11181.
- N. Lee and A. J. W. Thom, Studies on the transcorrelated method, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 19, 5743 (2023).
- C. J. N. Coveney, J. B. Haber, A. M. Alvertis, J. B. Neaton, and M. R. Filip, Rearrangement collision theory of phonon-driven exciton dissociation, Phys. Rev. B 110, 054307 (2024).