Abstract
The optical properties of Zn and Cd are investigated theoretically at T=0°K; a nonlocal empirical pseudopotential determined from Fermi-surface measurements is used to calculate the optical spectra at T=0°K. To study the temperature dependence of the spectra, we modified the T=0°K pseudopotential to include lattice vibrations and thermal expansion, and then calculated the optical spectra of Cd at T=462°K. Fairly good agreement with experiment in regard to line shape is found if these temperature effects are properly taken into account; however, the absolute magnitudes of the calculated optical spectra exceed the experimental values by about a factor of 2.