Density-functional theory for spin-density waves and antiferromagnetic systems

An extension of density-functional theory, designed to treat spin-density waves and antiferromagnetic systems, is presented. The nonlocal nature of the antiferromagnetic correlations and possible noncollinearity in spin space are incorporated via an additional fundamental variable, the staggered density, which supplements the spin densities of conventional density-functional theory. Inclusion of this variable is justified by both physical and methodological considerations. We prove the corresponding Hohenberg-Kohn theorem, derive the pertinent Kohn-Sham equations, and present several approximate functionals depending explicitly on the staggered density. As a first test the formalism is applied to two simple model systems, a one-dimensional electron gas with a short-range interaction, and the three-dimensional electron gas with Coulomb interactions. These calculations serve to test the developed formalism, but also already allow us to draw a number of conclusions regarding the stability and nature of possible spin-density wave states in homogeneous electron systems.