The coupled cluster theory of quantum lattice systems

he coupled cluster method is widely recognized nowadays as providing an ab initio method of great versatility, power, and accuracy for handling in a fully microscopic and systematic way the correlations between particles in quantum many-body systems. The number of successful applications made to date within both chemistry and physics is impressive. In this article we review our recent extensions of the method which now provide a unifying framework for also dealing with strongly interacting infinite quantum lattice systems described by a Hamiltonian. Such systems include both spin-lattice models (such as the anisotropic Heisenberg or XXZ model) exhibiting interesting magnetic properties, and electron lattice models (such as the tJ and Hubbard models), where the spins or fermions are localized on the sites of a regular lattice; as well as lattice gauge theories [such as the Abelian U(1) model of quantum electrodynamics and non-Abelian SU(n) models]. Illustrative results are given for both the XXZ spin lattice model and U(1) lattice gauge theory.