Ab initio calculation of electron excitation energies in solids

Progress in the first-principles calculation of electron excitation energies in solids is discussed. Quasiparticle energies are computed by expanding the electron self energy to first order in the screened Coulomb interaction in the so-called GW approximation. The method was applied to explain and predict spectroscopic properties of a variety of systems. Several illustrative applications to semiconductors, materials under pressure, chemisorption, and point defects in solids are presented. A recent reformulation of the method employing mixed- space functions and imaginary time techniques is also discussed