Corrected local-density approximation band structures, linear-response dielectric functions, and quasiparticle lifetimes in noble metals

We report the calculations of dielectric functions and quasiparticle lifetimes for noble metals Cu, Ag, and Au performed within the LMTO-GW approach. We show that by changing the value of continuous principal quantum number of d states it is possible to improve the calculated local density approximation (LDA) band structures and dielectric functions. In particular, the plasmon absorption in Ag, which is absent in the self-consistent LDA approach, is obtained with the corrected band structure. We also show that the drawbacks of the LDA band structures do not lead to qualitative changes of the quasiparticle lifetimes. The lifetimes of electron excitations calculated by the LMTO-GW method agree well with the results of the LDA plane-wave GW approach. By adjusting the value of the density parameter r(s) good agreement with the results of the many-body free-electron gas calculations is also achieved for the electrons and holes in s,p-bands. For the holes in the top d bands we report the lifetime band structures.