{
  "abstract": "The local field factor $G(q)$ of the HEG describes how exchange and correlation modify the response to a static perturbation, and enters dielectric screening, effective electron--electron interactions, and the xc kernel of TDDFT. Accurate zero-temperature data for $G(q)$, however, remain limited to metallic densities, $r_s\\leq10$. In this work, we present diffusion Monte Carlo calculations of the static density response function $χ(q)$ and of $G(q)$ for $2\\leq r_s\\leq100$, and describe and discuss the methodological steps that enabled these calculations. We show how optimization of the perturbing potential in the trial wave function has an important effect, as a poor choice can reverse the sign of the response. A closed-form expression is provided for its optimal value, together with the density dependence of the linear-response window. We further show that backflow correlations leave $χ(q)$ unchanged and that $G(q)$ depends only weakly on system size even at very low density, so that Slater--Jastrow wave functions and modest system sizes suffice. Together, these results provide a practical guide for future QMC calculations of response properties of the electron gas and real materials. Our results agree with previous DMC data at metallic densities for $q>k_F$, and extend them below $k_F$. They also agree with diagrammatic QMC at $r_s=2$. At lower densities, our results show that $G(q)$ develops a nonmonotonic structure at intermediate-$q$, where the response approaches that of the noninteracting gas. Quantitative agreement is seen with finite-temperature path integral Monte Carlo, suggesting that the previously reported finite-temperature structure is inherited from the ground state. Using a parametrization of $G(q)$ that reproduces our data throughout the liquid phase, we relate this structure to short-range order in the pair correlation function and the static structure factor.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.40093",
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Muhammed H. Güneş"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yubo Yang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Vitaly Gorelov"
    },
    {
      "name": "Miguel A. Morales"
    },
    {
      "name": "Matteo Gatti"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lucia Reining"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shiwei Zhang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d9apdx9ngapgb.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.40093",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "d9apdx9ngapgb",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.40093",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.other"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.str-el"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.comp-ph"
    ],
    [
      "hal",
      "0.phys"
    ],
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      "1.phys.cond"
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      "2.phys.cond.cm-sce"
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  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.40093",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d9apdx9ngapgb.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:36:23Z",
      "native_id": "2610.40093",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.40093"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:20:18Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05848877",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05848877v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.comp-ph",
      "subfield": "computational"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.other",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Static Response of the Strongly Coupled Electron Gas from Diffusion Monte Carlo",
  "title_text": "Static Response of the Strongly Coupled Electron Gas from Diffusion Monte Carlo",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T12:20:48Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d9apdx9ngapgb",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}