The electronic polarizability of small metal particles is investigated within the framework of the local-density approximation applied to the spherical jellium model. Self-consistent effective potentials are used for the determination of the independent-particle susceptibility ${\chi }^0(\overrightarrow{\mathrm{r}},{\overrightarrow{\mathrm{r}}}^{\prime };\omega )$. On the basis of this ${\chi }^0$ the self-consistent field response equation, determining the susceptibility $\chi (\overrightarrow{\mathrm{r}},{\overrightarrow{\mathrm{r}}}^{\prime };\omega )$ of the interacting electrons, is solved with the inclusion of exchange and correlation. In this way we obtain for the first time the self-consistently determined absorption spectrum of small metal clusters.

• Received 13 February 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.52.1925