Self-Consistent-Field Theory of Linear and Nonlinear Crystalline Dielectrics Including Local-Field Effects

Abstract

The linear and nonlinear responses of a crystalline dielectric to external fields are derived using a self-consistent-field formulation. Local-field effects arising from the rapidly varying charge density in a lattice are built into the analysis in order to identify properly the effect of the lattice on the macroscopic dielectric tensors. Formal solutions are obtained for a general lattice; standard results are deduced for special cases ranging from point dipoles to a free-electron gas. The self-consistent local fields are presented in a gauge that accounts for longitudinal electron-electron interactions and for transverse-optical properties.