Photoabsorption and photoionization dynamics study of silicon tetrafluoride in the framework of time-dependent density-functional theory

Photoionization cross sections and angular distributions of silicon tetrafluoride have been calculated in the framework of the time-dependent density-functional theory approach. Both valence and inner shell ionizations have been considered in an extended photon energy range. Calculations have been carried out by using two different exchange-correlation xc potentials characterized by the correct asymptotic behavior. Theoretical results obtained with both the van Leeuwen–Baerends and statistical average of orbital potentials SAOP xc potentials are compared with photoabsorption, photoionization, and electron-scattering experiments as well as with previous theoretical calculations. It is suggested that even if both xc potentials provide a reasonably good description of the photoionization dynamics, correlation effects are phenomenologically better accounted for by the SAOP xc potential. Overall, the good accuracy attained with the linear combination of atomic orbitalstime dependent density-functional theory method in reproducing the experimental findings for SiF4 makes it a promising and powerful method for the characterization of the photoionization dynamics from medium and large-size molecules.